THE  REALISM  OF  STANLEY  HOUGHTON 


BY 


DOROTHY  HUNTINGTON  HILL 


THESIS, 

FOR  THE 

DEGREE  OF  BACHELOR  OF  ARTS 

IN 


ENGLISH 


COLLEGE  OF  LIBERAL  ARTS  AND  SCIENCES 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


1922 


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THE  REALISM  OF  STANLEY  HOUGHTON 


BY 


DOROTHY  HUNTINGTON  HILL 


THESIS 

FOR  THE 

DEGREE  OF  BACHELOR  OF  ARTS 

IN 

ENGLISH 


COLLEGE  OF  LIBERAL  ARTS  AND  SCIENCES 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


1922 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


Page 

Biographical  Note 1 

Chapter  I.  Historical  Background 6 

Chapter  II.  Mr.  Houghton’s  Longer  Plays 

Exclusive  of  Hindi e Wakes 13 

Chapter  III.  The  Shorter  Plays  and 

Non-drama  tic  Writing 33 

Chapter  IV.  Hindle  Wakes 4? 

Chapter  V.  Conclusion 64 

Bibliography  . 


-1- 


BIOGRAPHIGAL  NOTE. 

Stanley  Houghton's  life  centers  in  two  things:  what 
rnay  be  called  his  vehement  love  of  the  theatre,  and  his  less 
interested  pursuit  of  things  material.  In  this  respect  the 
life  of  this  young  modern  is  reminiscent  of  that  of  Charles 
Lamb.  Houghton,  like  Lamb,  spent  his  days  as  a clerk  in  a 
warehouse  and  his  evenings  in  literary  effort.  Then,  too, 
another  parallel  between  them  is  that  they  both  possess  that 
marvellous  gift  of  the  high  gods,  a keen  sense  of  humor  and  the 
technique  necessary  to  present  their  material  to  the  public  . 

William  Stanley  Houghton  was  born  at  Asht on-up on - 
Mersey,  in  Cheshire,  on  February  33,  1881.  The  Houghton  family 
of  today  descends  from  an  old  Lancashire  family  which  originally 
settled  at  Preston.  The  name,  first  spelled  Hoghton,  became, 
about  1733,  Houghton.  It  is  pronounced  as  though  it  were 
spelled  Hawton.  The  dramatist's  father,  a cotton  manufacturer 
of  Manchester,  educated  his  son  at  the  Grammar  School  of  that 
city.  At  the  close  of  1897,  when  he  was  nearly  sixteen,  he 
entered  his  father's  office.  Although  he  worked  his  way  up 
from  junior  office-boy  to  salesman,  he  worked  unwillingly.  He 
was  always  striving  to  write. 

His  first,  as  well  as  his  last  efforts,  were  toward 
the  theatre.  An  excellent  amateur  actor,  he  absorbed  the 


■ 

-3- 


atmosphere  of  grease-paint.  At  the  age  of  twenty  (1901)  he 

wrote  little  comic  operas  and  farces  which  he  helped  to  stage. 

In  that  same  year  he  attempted  30ine  extremely  melodramatic  one- 

act  plays,  After  Naaeby.  The  Last  Shot,  and  The  Blue  Phial . 

There  is  mention  of  a play  written  in  1903-1903,  but  it  seems 

to  have  disappeared  over  the  horizon  of  oblivion,  dragging  its 

title  with  it.  From  1903  to  1907  he  wrote  at  least  one  short 

play  each  year.  None  of  these  are  worthy  of  consideration 

except  The  Old  Testament  and  the  New  (1905)  which  receives  some 

1 

attention  in  this  treatment . 

In  1908,  Miss  A.  E.  F.  Horniman  acquired  the  Gaiety 
Theatre  of  Manchester.  Miss  Horniman 's  production  of  plays 
created  a new  standard  in  provincial  England  and  furnished 
Stanley  Houghton  with  his  opportunity  . November  of  1908  saw 
the  first  production  of  The  Dear  Departed  at  the  Gaiety.  This 
was  followed  by  Independent  Means . in  August  of  1909,  a play 
chiefly  interesting  because  of  the  last  act  in  which  Houghton's 
technique  masters  him.  In  April  of  1909  Marriages  in  the  Mak- 
ing was  finished,  but  this  play  has  never  been  produced. 

In  November  and  December  of  1910  Miss  Horniman 's 
company  at  the  Gaiety  produced  The  Younger  Generation.  This 
play,  after  Hindi e Wakes,  is  the  dramatist's  most  successful 
play.  It  has  been  produced  in  London  at  the  Haymarket  and 


1.  See  Chapter  III. 


-3- 

Duke  of  York's  theatres.  It  has  seen  American  production  by 
Charles  Frohman.  This  play  won  the  favor  of  William  Archer. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  Houghton  was  at  this  time  still 
spending  the  so-called  working  hours  of  the  day  "under  the  strain 
of  a constantly  growing  feeling  that  the  selling  of  'grey  cloth' 
was  something  foreign  from  his  true  province."^  The  Master 
of  the  House,  a play  with  a strong  Irish  flavor  of  the  gruesome, 
was  written  after  The  Younger  Generation,  in  ISOS,  but  preceded 
it  in  production  in  September,  1910.  Ginger , a play  not  in 
the  Brighouse  edition  of  Mr.  Houghton's  works,  was  written  in 
1910  but  not  produced  until  1913  by  Mr.  Esme  Percy. 

The  Fifth  Commandment  was  written  by  Mr.  Houghton  in 
1911 . It  has  never  been  produced  in  England  and  only  once  in 
America,  at  the  Little  Theatre,  Chicago,  in  1913.  Fancy  Free, 
also  written  in  1911,  made  its  appearance  in  November  of  that 
year  at  a Manchester  theatre.  It  failed.  It  has  had  an 
American  production  at  the  Princess  Theatre,  New  York. 

Partners . the  longer  version  of  Fancy  Free,  was  written  in  the 
interval  from  May  to  September  of  1911.  It  has  never  been  pro- 
duced . 

Mr.  Houghton's  health  was  never  very  good,  and  the 
tremendous  success  of  Hindi e Wakes,  written  from  October  to 
December  of  1911  and  produced  by  Miss  Horniman's  repertory 


1.  Houghton,  Stanley:  Works.,  v.  1,  Introduction,  p.  xi  . 


-4- 


company  at  the  Coronet  Theatre  in  June,  1913,  seems  to  have 
been  too  much  for  him.  After  its  Manchester  success  the  play 
had  a long  run  in  London.  Mr.  Houghton  felt  so  reassured  by 
the  success  of  this  play  that  he  gave  up  his  position  in  his 
father's  office  and  attempted  the  literary  field  in  earnest. 

The  peculiar  thing  about  the  dramatist's  work  f ran  1913  on,  is 
that  it  declines  with  his  withdrawal  from  the  cotton  trade. 

We  wonder  if  the  change  of  habit  was  too  much  for  him. 

There  are  three  plays  written  on  commission  in  the 
period  from  September  to  December  of  1913.  These  are  Phipps . 
Pearls . and  Trust  the  People,  the  only  one  of  the  group  appear- 
ing in  the  Brighouse  edition  being  Phipps . Phipps  and  Pearls 
were  both  put  on  by  Mr.  Bourchier  in  1912.  The  latter  is  a 
regular  music-hall  piece.  Trust  the  People  ran  for  forty-four 
nights,  from  February  6,  1913,  on. 

After  the  success  of  Hindi e Wakes  the  young  dramatist 
took  a flat  in  Charing  Cross  Road,  London.  He  found  steady 
work  impossible,  the  public  was  much  too  busy  making  him  a 
literary  lion.  His  health  was  growing  steadily  worse,  as  the 
result  of  some  obscure  poisoning.  May  of  1913  found  him  en- 
joying Paris  and  planning  a novel  called  Lif  e . In  June  the 
rehearsals  of  The  Perfect  Cure  called  him  back  to  Manchester . 
There  he  was  ill  but  went  on  to  Venice.  After  a fortnight  he 
was  operated  on.  He  seemed  to  be  getting  better,  and  his 
parents  took  him  home  to  Manchester.  He  died  on  the  11th  of 


-5- 


Dec ember , 1913. 

The  plays  which  have  been  bequeathed  to  us  are  listed 
below,  together  with  the  dates  of  first  production,  when  pro- 
duced . 

1 . The  Old  Testament  and  the  New:  (written  in  1905)  . 

3.  The  Dear  Departed:  (written  in  1908),  produced  at  the 
Gaiety  Theatre,  Manchester,  November  3,  1908. 

3.  Marriages  in  the  Making:  (written  in  April,  1909). 

4.  Independent  Means:  (written  in  1908),  produced  at 

the  Gaiety  Theatre,  Manchester,  August  30,  1909. 

5.  The  Master  of  the  House:  (written  in  1909),  produced 

at  the  Gaiety  Theatre,  Manchester,  September  36,  1910. 

6.  The  Younger  Generation:  (written  in  1909),  produced  at 

the  Gaiety  Theatre,  Manchester,  November  31,  1910. 

7.  The  Fifth  Commandment:  (written  in  1911),  produced  at 

the  Little  Theatre,  Chicago,  April  1913. 

8.  Fancy  Free:  (written  in  1911),  produced  at  the  Gaiety 

Theatre,  Manchester,  November  6,  1911. 

9.  Partners : (written  in  May  1911). 

10.  Hindis  Wakes:  (written  in  October  1911),  produced  at 

the  Adlwych  Theatre,  London,  June  16,  1913. 

11.  Phipps : (written  1913),  produced  at  the  Garrick  Theatre, 

London,  November  19,  1913. 

13.  The  Perfect  Cure:  (written  1913),  produced  at  the  Apollo 


Theatre,  London,  June  17,  1913 . 


. 


-6- 


CHAPTER  I. 

HISTORICAL  BACKGROUND 

Any  student  of  the  modern  drama  who  attempts  the 
accurate  analysis  of  such  a dramatist  as  Stanley  Houghton,  with- 
out some  knowledge  of  dramatic  realism  and  its  history  in  the 
last  half  of  the  19th  Century,  is  seriously  handicapped.  Rare- 
ly, however,  do  the  creators  of  realistic  drama  write  down  their 
theories  of  it  for  us.  The  dramatist  creates  his  version  of 
realism  and  leaves  it  to  the  critic  to  write  the  theory  of  it. 
Mr.  Houghton  is  not  an  exception  to  this  rule.  I have,  there- 
fore, in  this  first  chapter  made  use  of  William  Leonard  Court- 
ney's theory  of  modern  realism.  His  theory,  or  "inquiry  into 
the  conditions  and  limitations  of  Dramatic  Realism,"^  is  to  be 
found  in  his  essay  on  the  "Realistic  Drama"  in  Old  Saws  and 
Modern  Instances . After  discussing  briefly  the  meaning  of 
true  dramatic  realism,  I shall  follow  with  a more  detailed  sum- 
mary of  realism  in  England  from  the  time  of  Tom  Robertson  to 
such  serious  and  successful  realists  as  St . John  Ervine,  John 
Galsworthy , and  Stanley  Houghton. 

The  dramatist  of  realism  must  be  something  of  a 


1.  Courtney,  William  L:  Old  Saws  and  Modern  Instances,  preface 


-7- 


scientist,  a kind  of  "super-scientist”.  He  observes  the  life 
which  goes  on  around  him  and  carefully  tabulates  his  observa- 
tions in  a dramatic  form.  He  considers  it  to  be  his  business 
as  an  artist  to  paint  men  as  he  thinks  they  are,  "not  very  good, 
not  very  bad,  average  creatures,  sometimes  with  good  intentions, 
often  with  bad  performance,  meaning  well  and  doing  ill, — above 
all,  never  heroes  and  never  heroines,  nor  even  thorough-going 
villains,  but  (as  one  might  phrase  it)  of  a piebald  variety. "1 * 3 
But  that  is  not  all,  the  realist  must  possess  a passionate 
desire  for  truth — truth  at  all  costs.  "He  must  possess  an 
equally  passionate  hatred  of  all  hypocrisy  and  sham,  his  zeal 
must  anchor  him  on  solid  facts.  He  must  refuse  to  care  whether 
he  gives  pain  or  discomfort  to  men  and  women  who  would  rather 

o 

live  in  a fool's  paradise  . "^  As  Mr.  Clayton  Hamilton  says  in 
his  article  on  the  "New  Realism  in  the  Drama",  "Character  is 
all  they  (the  realists)  care  about;  and  provided  their  imaginary 
people  are  representative  and  real,  they  do  not  deem  it  indis- 
pensable that  they  shall  reveal  themselves  in  terms  of  action. 

They  therefore  exercise  their  artistry  in  an  effort  to  conceal 

'6 

the  fact  that  the  drama  is  different  from  nature."  In  brief, 


1 . Ibid  . , p . 161 . 

3 . Ibid . , p . 183  . 

3.  Bookman,  v.  36,  p.  639. 


-8- 


the  art  of  true  realism  consists  in  the  mirror-like  representa- 
tion of  character.  The  mirror  of  the  drama  can  never  be  flaw- 
less, but  it  must  be  as  "true”  to  the  image  reflected  as  pos- 
sible . 

This  theory  of  realism  has  taken  many  years  to  for- 
mulate. Undoubtedly  the  "spirit  of  science”  which  so  disturbed 
19th  Century  thought  is  indirectly  responsible  for  realism. 

It  was  not,  however,  until  the  last  quarter  of  the  century  that 
anything  worth  while  in  the  field  of  realism  was  accomplished. 
Previously  the  melodrama,  farce  and  burlesque  ran  riot  . The 
drama  was  full  of  characters  not  unlike  the  Mikado  of  Gilbert 
and  Sullivan  fame.  There  was  another  form  of  dramatic  expres- 
sion in  such  plays  as  those  of  Tom  Robertson.  Until  his  time 
the  English  stage  of  the  19th  Century  was  more  or  leas  under 
the  domination  of  the  French  stage.  This  domination  is  evident 
in  the  plays  directly  preceding  Robertson,  in  their  obvious 
adaptation  of  French  plot  and  characterization.  Robertson's 
plays,  it  is  true,  are  undeniably  cheap,  but  they  represent  the 
dramatist's  attempt  at  the  realistic  presentation  of  English 
manners  and  habits.  Hence  his  Society  is  one  of  the  first 
notes  in  the  steadily  ascending  scale  of  realism. 

Some  twenty  years  after  Robertson,  we  find  in  the 


1.  Courtney,  W.  L.:  Old  Saws  and  Modern  Instances,  p.  17S. 


' 


-9- 


history  of  English  realistic  drama,  two  names  which  have  come 
to  mean  much  to  us,  in  that  they  are  associated  with  the  earlier 
days  of  this  movement  . These  are  Henry  Arthur  Jones  and  Arthur 
Wing  Pinero.  Neither  one  of  these  men  is,  in  the  strict  sense 
of  the  term,  a realist,  but  they  are  contributors  to  the  cause. 

In  Saints  and  Sinners  (1884)  Jones  struck  an  important 
blow  for  realism.  Here  Jones  shows  the  spirit  of  the  realist 
who  wishes  to  attack  hypocrisy — in  this  instance  that  of  narrow 
evangelicalism.  Furthermore,  although  Michael  and  His  Lost 
Angel  is  not  a realistic  drama,  it  contains  an  assault  upon 
English  self-satisfaction  embodied  in  the  character  of  the  Rev. 
Michael  Feversham.  The  production  of  The  Profligate  by  Pinero 
in  1889  was  a noteworthy  event  in  the  history  of  dramatic  real- 
ism. In  Pinero's  work  we  see  his  two-fold  desire,  to  paint 
his  characters  from  life  and  to  expose  all  that  is  rotten  in 
the  social  state.  The  Profligate  embodies  Pinero's  sincere  if 
halting  attempt  to  break  down  the  walls  of  convention  and  expose 
the  social  problem  behind  them.  In  The  Second  Mrs.  Tanquerav. 
written  later,  the  dramatist  has  improved  upon  The  Profligate. 
Here  we  find  a more  carefully  worked  out  theme  as  well  as  a 
wonderfully  realistic  character  in  Paula  Tanqueray  . The  last 
act  of  The  Second  Mrs . Tanquerav  lifts  us  above  the  commonplace, 
it  inspires  us  to  pity.  As  Mr.  Courtney  says,  "the  supreme 
virtue  of  a drama  of  realism  is  that  now  and  again  it  has  this 


* 


- 


-lo- 


st range  power  of  transporting  us  out  of  ourselves.  Everyone, 
perhaps,  will  have  his  own  instances  to  give  of  an  experience  of 
this  kind;  for  myself  I felt  it  when  I first  saw  The  Second  Mrs . 
Tanqueray , and  again  when  I saw  Kindle  Wakes. 

There  have  been  other  influences  upon  the  development 
of  realism  in  England.  St.  John  Hankin,  whose  Constant  Lover 
is  an  example  of  his  dramatic  theory,  said,  "it  is  the  dram- 
atist’s business  to  represent  life,  not  to  argue  about  it." 

Mr.  Galsworthy  has  contributed  such  pieces  of  the  realistic 
drama  as  Justice  and  Strife  . St.  John  Er vine’s  Magnanimous 
Lover . like  many  of  his  other  plays,  is  realistic  in  nature. 

Mr.  Granville  Barker  presents  many  serious  problems  to  his 
audiences,  notably  that  in  Waste . In  this  play,  Mr.  Barker 
proves  that  any  subject,  even  a repellent  one,  may  be  of  inter- 
est to  the  realist,  if  it  concerns  the  problems  of  society. 

As  for  George  Bernard  Shaw,  he  is  like  the  poor,  al- 
ways with  us.  His  writings  have  been  a sort  of  stimulus  to 
the  dramatists  of  the  world  for  the  past  quarter  of  a century. 
Hi3  influence  has  spread  like  the  ripples  on  a pool  after  one 
has  thrown  a stone  in  its  midst.  Furthermore,  his  continued 
insistance  upon  "the  new",  has  kept  the  public  constantly  upon 
the  alert . 

The  realism  of  Mr  . Stanley  Houghton  is  the  outgrowth 


1 . Ibid . . p . 188 . 


-11- 


of  these  various  influences.  It  is  never  pessimistic,  for  he 
chose  to  keep  his  dramas  within  the  limits  of  the  comic.  Some 
of  Houghton’s  critics  have  declared  his  plays  to  be  nothing  more 
than  comedies  of  manners.  It  is  the  object  of  this  treatment 
to  prove  by  a more  or  less  detailed  study,  that  Mr.  Houghton 
had  the  makings  of  a great  realist  and  that  only  his  early  death 
prevented  him  from  receiving  his  crown  of  laurels. 


-13- 

CHAPTER  II. 

MR.  HOUGHTON'S  REALISM  IN  THE  LONGER  PLAYS  EXCLUSIVE 

OF  HINDLE  WAKES. 

If  the  realism  of  this  period  is,  as  we  have  seen, 
dependent  upon  the  treatment  of  character,  Stanley  Houghton's 
work  may  be  said  to  be  one  of  the  high  points  in  its  action. 

It  is  customary  in  a criticism  of  this  nature,  to  judge  a man 
by  his  greatest  work,  therefore  Hindis  Wakes  has  been  used  in 
this  case  as  the  "touchstone”  for  Mr.  Houghton's  work.  Hence 
the  traces  of  "base  metal"  found  in  the  other  dramas  appear  more 
striking  by  contrast. 

So  much  for  the  criterion  by  which  we  shall  judge  Mr. 
Houghton's  work,  which  falls  into  three  natural  divisions,  the 
longer  plays  exclusive  of  Kindle  Wakes,  the  one-act  plays  and 
non-dramatic  writing,  and  Kindle  Wakes . The  arrangement  of 
chapters  in  this  criticism  follows  these  divisions.  The  plays 
criticised  in  this  chapter  are  arranged  according  to  their 
chronological  order.  They  include  Independent  Means.  Marriages 
in  the  Making.  The  Younger  Generation.  Partners . and  The  Perfect 
Cure  . 

The  first  long  play  of  any  definite  value  was  written 
by  Mr.  Houghton  in  1908;  it  is  a comedy  in  four  acts  entitled 


-13- 


Independent  Means . As  the  title  indicates,  the  play  concerns 
itself  with  a married  woman’s  right  to  earn  her  own  living. 

The  first  act  introduces  the  two  main  themes.  The  Edgar  For- 
syths return  to  the  Forsyth  home  after  a brief  honeymoon  which 
ha3  been  clouded  by  certain  differences  of  opinion.  Further- 
more, the  Forsyth  fortune  receives  a distinct  blow  through  the 
failure  of  a certain  Dutch  produce  company;  but  with  character- 
istic pride  Egdar's  father  does  not  inform  his  family  of  this 
disaster.  Act  II.  finds  that  the  differences  of  opinion  betweer 
Edgar  and  his  wife  Sidney  have  grown  into  a definite  quarrel 
over  Sidney's  "rights".  Mrs.  Forsyth  tells  Edgar  and  Sidney 
of  her  husband's  financial  failure.  The  Forsyth  credit  has 
been  discounted,  so  that  the  third  act  finds  the  house  sold  to 
John  Ritchie,  the  family  friend,  and  the  furniture  ticketed  for 
auction.  Sidney,  insistent  in  her  demands  for  "independent 
means",  leaves  the  house  without  giving  her  future  address  to 
her  husband.  Forsyth,  overcome  by  his  sense  of  failure,  and 
by  the  effect  of  too  much  "neat"  whiskey  on  a bad  heart,  dies. 

In  Act.  IV.  the  Forsyth  fortune  has  entirely  disappeared;  as  a 
result  Edgar  accepts  Ritchie's  offer  of  a position.  Sidney 
is  acting  as  Ritchie's  secretary,  and  these  two  young  people 
have  to  share  the  same  office.  Their  problems  of  readjustment 
are  solved  in  the  "usual"  manner.  Sidney,  faced  with  the 
problem  of  making  a living  in  the  child-bearing  period,  capitu- 
lates, and  the  curtain  falls  upon  their  reconciliation. 


* 

-14- 


This  theme,  however,  is  merely  the  background  for 
Houghton's  realistic  characterization.  Edgar  Forsyth's  stubborr 
egoism  is  carefully  presented  through  such  details  as  his  quar- 
rel in  Act  II  . with  Sidney  over  her  place  on  the  Suffrage  Com- 
mittee. We  are  convinced  that  he  is  just  the  sort  of  man  who 
would  forbid  his  wife's  seeing  Man  and  Superman  because  "it's 
not  fit  for  a decent  woman  to  see."  The  character  of  Jane, 
the  housekeeper,  remains  the  same  even  after  her  legacy  allows 
her  to  give  up  her  position  in  the  Forsyth  household.  She  comes 
to  call  on  the  Forsyths  and  ends  by  preparing  tea.  The  follow- 
ing dialogue  is  but  one  instance  of  Houghton's  fidelity  to  the 
homely  details  of  life  and  character. 

Mrs.  Forsvth.  We  are  just  going  to  have  a cup  of  tea 
before  leaving.  You'll  stop  for  that,  won't  you? 

Jane,  (politely).  I’m  much  obliged  to  you. 

Sidney  ■ I'll  go  and  make  it. 

Mrs.  Forsvth.  The  kettle  is  on  the  small  gas  stove. 

Jane  . They  haven't  cut  off  the  gas,  then? 

Sidney  . Not  yet.  (She  goes  to  the  door.) 

Jane  . I'd  better  come  and  help  you.  That  little  gas 
stove  always  fires  back  when  you  light  it. 

Sidney . Ye3,  Jane,  come  along;  there's  a dear. 

(Sidney  goes  out . ) 

Mrs.  Forsvth.  Oh  no,  there's  no  need. 


-15- 


Jane.  I'm  not  too  proud;  I often  feel  the  want  of 
something  to  do  nowadays 

Another  example  of  Houghton's  fondness  for  realistic 
detail  is  to  he  found  in  the  3csne  between  Sidney  and  Edgar 
about  the  trunks  in  the  first  act. 

(Certain  bouncing  sounds  are  heard,  and  Edgar  suddenly 
flings  open  the  door  and  bounds  in.  He  is  in  his 
shirt-sleeves . ) 

Edgar.  I say,  Sid,  the  luggage  has  come,  and  one  of 
your  trunks — (Seeing  Ritchie)  Hello,  Ritchie,  old 
chap , how  d'ye  do . 

Ritchie  . Let's  have  a look  at  you.  Ay,  you'll  do  too. 
Edgar . I should  think  so.  Apologize  for  my  shirt-sleeves; 

didn't  know  you  were  here. 

Sidney  . Edgar,  what  about  my  trunk? 

Edgar . Yes,  I forgot.  One  of  your  trunks  has  fallen  off 
the  car  and  the  lid's  burst  open. 

Sidney . Oh,  which  one?  Has  anything  got  spoilt? 

Edgar.  You'd  better  go  and  see.  It  looks  to  me  rather 
a holy  mess . 

Sidney  . Good  gracious  1 (She  runs  out.)*" 


1.  Houghton,  Stanley:  Works . v.  1,  p.  57. 
3.  Ibid. . , pp  . 28-39. 


-16- 

There  are  only  two  lapses  from  Houghton's  realism  in 
this  play.  The  first  of  these  is  found  in  Sidney's  insistance 
upon  Ritchie's  reducing  her  wages.  The  playwright  makes  rather 
too  much  of  the  incident.  In  the  earlier  part  of  the  last  act 
Edgar  discovers  that  Sidne}'  is  making  more  money  than  he  is  . 

Now  when  Sidney  is  informed  of  the  matter  she  demands  a reductior 
in  wages.  It  may  be  Sidney,  but  it  isn't  life.  No  employee 
ever  demanded  that  his  employer  lop  five  pounds  off  his  wages'. 
Another  defect  in  the  last  act  is  Houghton's  almost  farcical 
use  of  doors  . The  characters  bob  in  and  out  and  lock  and  un- 
lock them.  In  fact,  there  is  far  too  much  bustling  about  for 
anything  but  a conventional  French  farce  . 

After  a more  or  less  detailed  criticism  of  this  play 
one  is  led  to  the  conclusion  that  it  is  merely  mediocre.  The 
fault  lies  in  the  treatment.  Having  set  forth  certain  serious 
problems,  even  introducing  the  tragic  in  Mr.  Forsyth's  death 
at  the  end  of  Act  III.,  the  dramatist  fails  to  solve  them. 

The  whole  last  act  is  below  the  level  of  the  first  three.  Mr. 
Houghton's  forced  solution  of  the  Sidney -Edgar  difficulty  is 
unworthy  of  him.  It  is  so  conventional  that  we  have  a feeling 
that  their  affairs  are  merely  cemented  together  until  after  the 
arrival  of  their  child.  Neither  one  of  them  has  changed  to 
any  appreciable  extent.  The  dramatist  has  only  "patched"  up 
the  affair;  this  is  only  a temporary  lull  in  their  marital  war- 
fare. If  Mr.  Houghton  found  himself  defeated  in  solving  the 


-17- 

problem  of  the  young  Forsyths,  why  did  he  not  end  the  play  as 
Mr.  Barker  does  the  Madras  House?  There,  at  least,  the  fall 
of  the  curtain  carries  with  it  the  conviction  of  life.  There- 
fore, in  failing  to  solve  the  realistic  problem  presented  in 
the  earlier  part  of  the  play,  Act.  IV.  undermines  the  realistic 
force  of  the  whole  play. 

Marriages  in  the  Making  was  the  next  important  play 
after  Independent  Means  . In  Act  I.,  Mrs.  Cartwright's  carefully 
arranged  marriage  for  her  daughter,  Dolly,  with  the  eligible 
Clarence  Amore,  is  threatened  by  the  return  of  Dolly's  former 
lover,  Gordon  Leigh.  Act  II.  reveals  the  fact  that  Mrs.  Cart- 
wright had  exacted  a promise  from  Gordon  not  to  write  to  Dolly 
during  his  service  in  India.  Unable  to  see  Dolly,  Gordon  leaves 
the  Cartwright  house.  The  Rector  and  his  daughter  Violet  Fenny 
drop  in  to  chat.  Dolly  is  unsuccessful  in  her  attempt  to  break 
her  engagement  to  Clarence  Amore.  Clarence  convinces  himself 
that  Violet  is  still  in  love  with  him.  Later,  Dolly  and  Violet 
talk  matters  over,  and  the  scene  ends  with  Dolly's  writing  a 
letter  to  Gordon  at  Violet's  dictation.  Mrs.  Cartwright  re- 
turns too  late  to  intercept  the  letter.  The  third  and  last 
act  occurs  the  same  afternoon.  The  village  gossip,  Mrs.  Scattei 
-good,  conveniently  sees  and  hears  things  not  meant  for  her, 
whereupon  she  relates  the  whole  story.  A3  a result  Clarence's 
pride  makes  him  try  to  hold  Dolly  to  her  promise,  but  Gordon's 


> 


-18- 


arrival  convinces  him  that  it  is  impossible.  Clarence  leaves, 
to  return  at  the  end  of  the  act  with  a carefully  worked  up  lie, 
and  the  announcement  of  hi a engagement  to  Violet  . 

The  theme  is  perfectly  usual  and  scarcely  bears  com- 
ment . Mr.  Houghton’s  overworking  of  the  long  arm  of  coincidence 
seems  unnecessary.  The  chances  are  that  in  real  life  Gordon 
Leigh  would  have  returned  after  Dolly’s  wedding.  It  was  another 
fortunate  coincidence  that  Violet  Fenny  still  loved  Clarence. 

In  fact,  the  whole  play  is  a succession  of  theatrical  incidents, 
rather  than  life  itself.  As  usual,  in  the  realm  of  character 
Houghton's  realism  is  perfect.  The  character  of  Clarence  Amore 
impresses  one  with  its  truth.  We  are  constantly  reminded  of 

George  Meredith's  The  Egoist . But  it  is  in  the  scenes  between 

the  women  of  the  play  that  the  comedy  deserves  to  live . The 
dramatist’s  characterization  in  the  scenes  between  Dolly  and 
Mrs.  Cartwright,  and  between  Dolly  and  Violet,  discloses  an 
almost  incredible  knowledge  of  the  subject.  Mrs.  Cartwright’s 
role  of  unscrupulous  woman  is  sustained  from  the  opening  of  the 
first  act  to  her  last  speech  in  Act  III.,  "I’m  a bit  of  a liar 
myself."  I shall  quote  briefly  from  the  scenes  previously 
mentioned.  The  first  is  between  Dolly  and  Mrs.  Cartwright  in 
Act.  I.  Dolly's  mother  has  been  somewhat  shocked  at  her 
daughter's  lack  of  interest  in  the  man  to  whom  she  is  engaged. 


. 


-19- 


(Mrs  . Cartwright  settles  herself  to  her  novel,  and 
there  is  a slight  pause  . ) 

Dolly  (at  length) . Mother,  were  you  ever  in  love  with 
father? 

Mrs  . Cartwright  (scandalized)  . Dolly,  what  a question 
to  ask  '. 

Dolly  . Well,  hut  were  you? 

Mrs.  Cartwright.  Of  course.  Didn't  I marry  him? 

Dolly  . Yes.  But  did  you  decide  to  marry  him  because 
you  were  in  love  with  him,  or  decide  you  were  in 
love  with  him  because  you  were  going  to  marry  him? 

Mrs . Cartwright  (nonplussed) . Really,  Dolly- — how  can 
you  expect  me  to  remember  a thing  like  that  after 
all  these  years?1 

The  second  instance  of  Houghton's  remarkable  char- 
acterization of  women  occurs  in  Act  II.  Violet  is  urging  Dolly 
to  write  Gordon  Leigh,  so  that  she,  Violet,  may  marry  Clarence 
Amore . As  a bit  of  real  life,  it  is  excellent. 

Dolly  (handing  her  the  letter) . How  will  that  do? 

(Dolly  addresses  the  envelope . ) 

Violet  (having  glanced  through  it) . That ' s all  right . 

Dolly  . I ask  him  to  come  and  see  me  at  once,  you  notice. 

Violet . There  wasn't  any  need  to  do  that. 


1 . I bid  . , p . 105 . 


-20- 


(Dollv  puts  the  letter  in  the  envelope  and  seals  it  . ) 

Doily . This  must  be  delivered  at  once.  I don’t  like 
to  send  one  of  the  maids;  mother  might  see  it. 

Violet . I'll  take  it  for  you.  I can  cycle  round  by 
the  Leighs ’ on  my  way  home  . 

Dolly . It's  awfully  good  of  you. 

Violet ♦ Not  at  all.  (She  takes  the  letter.)  Do  I 
look  a3  if  I 'd  been  crying? 

Dolly  . It  doesn't  show  much. 

Violet . Is  there  a mirror?  Oh  yes'. 

1 

(Placing  letter  on  the  mantel  piece  she  rubs  her  cheeks . ) 

Independent  Means  and  Marriages  in  the  Making  were 
followed  by  a more  serious  three-act  play  written  in  ISOS,  The 
Younger  Generation  . .At  the  rise  of  the  curtain  on  Act  I.,  we 
discover  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jame3  Kennion  awaiting  the  arrival  of 
their  rebellious  children.  When  they  do  come  in,  each  one  of 
them  is  forced  to  give  a detailed  account  of  the  way  in  which 
he  has  spent  the  afternoon.  Reggie,  the  youngest,  is  on  the 
point  of  flight,  because  his  father  is  too  harsh  with  him. 

Grace  is  about  to  elope  with  Clifford  Rawson  because  her  parents 
will  not  allow  her  to  see  him  at  home.  A letter  from  Rawson 
is  intercepted  by  Grace's  father,  and  she  agrees  to  allow  him  to 


1 . Ibid . . p . 154 . 


-21- 

question  the  young  man  about  his  habits.  Tom,  James’  brother, 
arrives  from  Hamburg,  where  he  is  in  business.  A committee 
of  three  men  invite  James  Kennion  to  stand  for  Councillor  on 
the  Liberal  ticket.  In  the  presence  of  the  assembled  family 
they  inform  James  Kennion  that  it  is  his  duty,  because  he  is 
respected  by  the  community  as  a churchman  and  father.  At  the 
crucial  moment  of  Kennion 's  acceptance,  Arthur,  the  eldest  son, 
comes  in.  There  is  the  sound  of  scuffing  as  Arthur  tries  to 
kiss  Maggie,  the  housemaid,  who  helps  him  into  the  room.  He 
is  in  a state  of  gentlemanly  intoxication  and  "the  curtain  falls 
in  a complete  silence  of  horror,"  according  to  the  stage  direc- 
tions. The  next  morning  (Act  II.),  finds  Mr.  Kennion  insisting 
upon  Maggie'3  acceptance  of  Arthur's  apology.  Maggie  "gives 
notice"  rather  than  be  humiliated  by  a public  apology.  Kennion 
insults  Reggie  by  forcing  him  to  give  a detailed  account  of  his 
allowance.  Grace  sullenly  says  that  Clifford  Rawson  will  come 
over  to  report  to  her  parents  that  afternoon.  Arthur’s  settle- 
ment with  his  father  is  postponed  until  afternoon.  Madame 
Kennion,  or  Mrs  . Hannah  Kennion,  the  irascible  mother  of  Tom 
and  James,  comes  in  to  insist  intolerably  upon  everyone's  turn- 
ing out  for  church.  Her  son  Tom  has  partially  promised  Arthur 
to  rebel  with  him,  but  goes  with  the  rest  of  the  family  rather 
than  argue  with  Mrs.  Hannah.  Arthur  strikes  his  second  blow 
for  freedom  and  remains  seated  before  the  fire  while  everyone 


-22- 


goes  off  to  church  without  him.  Act  III.  opens  with  a con- 
ference between  the  rebellious  children.  Kennion  comes  into 
the  room  and  dismisses  everyone  but  Arthur.  Arthur  says  that 
he  has  made  his  apology  to  Maggie  while  the  others  were  at 
church.  Clifford  Rawson  comes  in  and  succeeds  in  getting 
Kennion's  approval  only  after  Tom  interferes  in  his  behalf. 
Further,  Tom  threatens  to  tell  everyone  of  one  of  his  brother 
James'  escapades  in  their  youth,  unless  Arthur  is  allowed  to 
return  to  the  continent  with  him.  The  committee  from  the 
Liberal  party  urge  James  Kennion  to  stand  as  candidate.  Reggie 
is  left  to  solve  his  own  problem.  Mrs.  Hannah  considers  her 
son  James  altogether  too  kind  to  his  children  and  flings  out 
of  the  house  in  disgust.  The  curtain  falls  upon  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
James  Kennion  discussing  their  children  in  much  the  same  fashion 
as  at  the  rising  of  it  on  Act  I. 

The  play  moves  smoothly  and  carefully  by  the  simplest 
of  narrative  means.  The  characters,  like  most  of  those  of 
Mr.  Houghton's  creation,  are  revealed  through  dialogue,  and 
consequently  there  is  very  little  plot  . There  are  many  amusing 
bits  of  realistic  conversation,  but  perhaps  that  between  Kennion 
and  Maggie  over  the  apology  may  be  said  to  be  typical . 

Maggie . I'd  much  rather  you'd  let  it  rest. 

Mr.  Kennion.  Not  on  any  account.  It's  a matter  of 
principle  with  me.  Mr.  Arthur  has  got  to  apologize 


to  you  before  everybody  . 


-23- 


Maggie . I couldn't  listen  to  him,  sir. 

Mr.  Kennion.  But  I shall  insist  on  your  listening. 

Maggie  (on  verge  of  tears) . Oh,  sir.  Don't  humiliate 
me  before  everybody. 

Mr  . Kennion . Don't  argue  with  me  about  it,  Maggie.  I 
am  your  master,  and  you  will  have  to  do  what  I tell 
you . 

Maggie . I'd  rather  leave  first,  sir. 

Mr.  Kennion.  Don't  talk  nonsense. 

Maggie . I don't  mind  being  kissed  by  anyone,  even  by 
you,  sir>  but  when  it 'comes  to  being  apologized  to 
before  everybody,  just  as  if  I'd  done  something  wrong — 

Mr . Kennion  (throwing  himself  back  in  his  chair  angrily . ) 
Tchah'.1 

The  daring  arrangement  of  the  setting  of  Act  I .,  with 
the  blank  side  of  the  stage  picture  representing  the  fireside 
wall  of  the  dining-room,  yields  an  undeniable  feeling  of  in- 
timacy. There  is,  too,  a beautiful  balance  between  the  first 
scene  of  Act.  I.,  with  the  Kennions  awaiting  the  arrival  of 
their  children,  and  the  last  scene  of  Act  III.,  where  the  cur- 
tain falls  upon  a similar  scene  in  which  their  problem  is  still 
the  same.  The  technique  of  this  play  is  much  better  than  that 


1.  Ibid.,  p.  217. 


-24- 

of  Marriages  in  the  Making.  In  fact,  it  is  as  clever  tech- 
nically as  Hindi e Wakes  . 

The  theme  of  The  Younger  Generation  is  undeniably 
that  of  intolerance.  Not  that  its  presentation  is  by  way  of 
propaganda.  But  the  play  is  full  of  intolerance  from  James 
Kennion's  speech,  "I  don't  know  what  the  younger  generation  is 
coming  to,"1 2  to  Mrs.  Hannah's  spiteful  remark  to  her  daughter- 
in-law,  "You're  not  of  my  generation,  Alice.  You're  of  a 
younger  and  softer  generation."^  None  of  the  persons  of  this 
self-satisfied  group,  except  Tom,  are  capable  of  grasping  the 
other's  point  of  view.  The  theme  is  not  a new  one,  neither  is 
the  introduction  of  Tom  Kennion  as  the  exception  to  this  pro- 
vincial attitude.  But  whereas  an  older  and  "softer  generation" 
of  dramatists  would  have  managed  to  reconcile  everyone  at  the 
end,  Mr.  Houghton  shows  us  that  these  antagonisms  remain.  It 
is  for  this  reason  that  the  problem  of  Reggie  remains  unsolved. 
In  this  the  playwright's  work  is  superbly  realistic.  The  end  ol 
the  last  act  verges  upon  the  pathetic  . It  is  symbolic  of  the 
whole  drama.  Everyone  has  left,  with  the  exception  of  the 
father  and  mother. 

(Mrs.  Kennion  sits  in  the  left  arm-chair.  Mr. 

Kennion  draws  an  arm-chair  up  to  the  hearth. 

Mrs.  Kennion  has  her  handkerchief  out . ) 


1 . Ibid.,  p . 223 . 

2 . Ibid  . , p . 258 . 


■ 


-25- 


Mrs  . Kennion.  I hope  it's  all  for  the  best.  We  seem  to 
be  out  of  sympathy  with  mother,  and  with  the  children 
too  . 

Mr.  Kennicn.  Mother  is  very  old,  and  the  children  are 
very  young.  We  must  make  allowances  for  them. 

Mrs.  Kennion.  I sometimes  wonder  whether  we  are  quite 
right  after  all  . 

(Mrs.  Kennion  wipes  her  eves.  Mr.  Kennion  leans 

forward  and  oats  her  knee  gently. They  sit  staring 

into  the  fire  for  a very  long  time,  silent,  immobile  . 
The  curtain  creeps  down  very,  very  slowly . ) 1 

We  realize  that  this  play  is  much  more  serious  in  its 
treatment  of  life  than  either  of  the  preceding  dramas.  The 
Younger  Generation  more  nearly  approaches  the  ideal  of  realism. 
It  possesses,  as  Mr.  Henry  Arthur  Jones  would  say,  "the  eaves- 
dropping convention  of  realistic  drama.*1 

Partners . written  after  The  Younger  Generation,  in 
1911,  has  many  of  the  light  touches  usually  ascribed  to  French 
comedy.  The  action  takes  place  in  the  lounge  of  a beach  hotel. 
In  Act.  I.  Sir  Isaac  and  Lady  Grundy  are  interrupted  at  tea  by 
the  entrance  of  Cynthia.  She  has  come  in  to  pay  Lady  Grundy 
her  "bridge**  debts.  Oliver  (he  has  no  last  name)  enters  and 


1.  Ibid  . . pp . 263-364. 


' 


■ 


-26- 


we  find  that  he  is  in  love  with  Cynthia  and  is  planning  to  elope 
with  her  that  evening.  Cynthia  tells  Oliver  that  she  and  her 
husband,  Vernon,  are  enjoying  a month’s  vacation  from  each  other 
Neither  one  of  them  knows  where  the  other  is.  Oliver  leaves 
to  buy  tickets  for  himself  and  Cynthia.  Vernon  enters  carrying 
a large  bouquet  of  violets,  obviously  not  purchased  for  Cynthia. 
Oliver  returns  and  is  presented  to  Cynthia's  husband.  Cynthia 
changes  her  mind  about  eloping  with  Oliver.  In  Act  II.,  Lydia, 
Oliver's  wife,  appears.  It  develops  that  she  was  eloping  with 
Vernon.  Lady  Grundy,  true  to  her  name,  tells  Vernon  of  Cyn- 
thia's affairs.  Cynthia  quarrels  with  both  Vernon  and  Oliver 
and  exits,  throwing  Vernon's  violets  on  the  floor.  Vernon 
rescues  the  violets,  just  as  the  curtain  falls.  In  Act  III. 
Vernon  presents  the  violets  to  Lydia,  for  whom  they  were  origin- 
ally intended.  Lady  Grundy  again  officiates  as  gossip  monger. 
Cynthia  attempts  to  re-establish  herself  in  Oliver's  affections 
but  is  spurned.  The  act  ends  with  a "row"  between  the  men  in 
which  the  women  assist.  Vernon  goes  off  with  his  wife  Cynthia, 
and  Oliver  with  his  Lydia. 

The  theme  of  this  play,  if  it  has  one,  is  distinctly 
farcical  in  nature.  The  incredible  situation  with  its  brisk 
moving  dialogue  is  rescued  from  the  purely  farcical  merely  by 
the  characterization.  The  theme  is  rendered  rather  cheap  by 
the  physical  "row"  (there  is  no  other  word  for  it)  at  the  end 
of  Act  III.  A quarrel  between  the  men  is  what  one  expects 


-37- 


from  the  middle  of  Act  I.  when  Vernon  enters,  but  the  physical 
demonstration  seems  very  bad  taste.  Furthermore,  the  partici- 
pation of  the  women  in  the  "row"  gives  the  play  a music-hall 
flavor . 

The  introduction  of  Sir  Isaac  and  Lady  Grundy  into 
the  comedy  is  distinctly  beneficial.  Sir  Isaac  knows  that 
Lady  Grundy  cheats  at  cards;  therefore  he  pays  back  all  that 
she  wins  to  the  loser . His  sense  of  justice  is  amusing,  but 
scarcely  convincing.  There  is  much  that  is  quotable  from  the 
play.  Here  are  two  of  Cynthia's  speeches.  Oliver  has  just 
called  her  his  "darling”. 

Cynthia  . You  must  not  say  such  things  to  me  in  private, 

Oliver.  I do  not  object  to  your  making  love  to  me 

publicly,  because  everybody  does  that,  and  so  I am 

not  compromised  by  your  attentions.  Indeed,  it 

would  cause  comment  if  you  did  not  make  love  to  me 

publicly;  everyone  would  be  certain  you  had  a very 

1 

good  reason  for  not  doing  so. 

The  above  speech  has  a strong  flavor  of  Wilde  . The  following 
speech  of  Cynthia's  on  husbands,  is  clever  rather  than  realistic 
Oliver  . You  like  me. 


1.  Ibid . . v.  3,  p.  15. 


-38- 

Cynthia . I like  cake;  but  if  I had  nothing  to  eat  but 
cake,  I should  pine  for  bread  and  butter.  You  are 
not  commonplace  enough  to  perform  the  ordinary  daily 
duties  of  a husband.1 

The  dialogue  is,  throughout,  of  that  sparkling  and  witty  nature 
usually  associated  with  the  name  of  Oscar  Wilde.  But  on  the 
whole,  the  comedy  is  distinctly  disappointing  after  the  glimpses 
of  greatness  in  Mr.  Houghton' 3 Younger  Generation.  At  least. 
Partners  can  scarcely  be  said  to  prophesy  the  powerful  realism 
of  the  play  which  followed  it,  Hindi e Wakes  . 

The  Perfect  Cure,  written  in  ISIS,  called  forth  a 
veritable  storm  of  protest  from  the  critics.  After  Hindis 
Wakes,  which  we  shall  treat  later,  the  theme  seems  very  small. 
The  three  acts  of  The  Perfect  Cure  are  built  upon  the  foundation 
of  Vincent  Cray's  selfishness.  In  the  first  act,  we  are  intro- 
duced to  Cray,  a widower,  whose  daughter  Madge  drudges  for  him. 
Madge's  lover,  Tom  Probyn,  to  whom  she  is  secretly  engaged,  is 
urging  her  on  toward  an  immediate  marriage.  Cray  feigns  ill- 
ness, whereupon  Madge  writes  her  refusal  to  Tom.  In  the  midst 
of  thia  scene  Martha  Scandrett,  Cray's  cousin  who  understands 
him  perfectly,  arrives  in  time  to  prevent  the  posting  of  the 
letter.  In  the  second  act,  Martha  ha3  made  up  her  mind  to 
marry  Cray,  whom  she  once  loved.  She  convinces  Madge  and  ap- 


1 . Ibid  . , p . 21 . 


■ 


. 


-39- 


peals  to  Cray’s  vanity  in  order  to  cure  him.  Cray  puts  himself 
in  a sort  of  ’’training”,  actually  putting  his  own  boots  on,  to 
the  amazement  of  his  daughter  Madge.  In  Act  III.  Madge  marries 
Tom.  Martha  works  a complete  change  in  Cray  and,  after  a sharp 
struggle  between  her  common  sense  and  his  vanity,  he  sends  the 
young  couple  away  happy.  Thereupon,  Martha  promises  to  marry 
Cray . 

As  an  instance  of  Mr.  Houghton’s  best  comic  style 
there  is  a memorable  scene  between  Cray  and  Madge.  The  follow- 
ing is  only  a part  of  the  dialogue  in  which  Cray  successfully 
plays  upon  his  daughter's  feelings.  It  is  a remarkable  piece 
of  sustained  comedy,  because  we  are  aware  that  the  whole  thing 
i3  feigned. 

(Madge  gives  Cray  some  brandy  . ) 

Cray  (feebly) . I had  always  hoped  you  would  have  been 
near  to  close  my  eyes  at  the  last  

Madge  (weeping) . Father 

Cray  . It  won't  be  long  now.  My  days  are  numbered 

Madge . Oh'.  I can't  leave  you.  I'll  write  to  Tom  and 
tell  him  we  shall  have  to  wait . 

Cray  (very  f eeblv) . No,  no.  I can't  have  it I won'1 

agree  to  such  a sacrifice.  You're  not  to  write  to- 
night . 

Madge . Yes,  I will.  Tonight. 


(A  pause.  She  sits  still  by  the  table  . ) 


... 


. 


-30- 

Crav  (at  length)  . Did  you  say  you  were  going  to  write 
to-night  ? 

Madge  . > Yes  . 

(A  pause.  Cray  look3  at  the  clock  . ) 

Gray . Of  course,  if  you  insist  on  writing  to-night  . 

(She  sits  at  the  table  and  writes  hurriedly.) 

Cray  (whilst  she  is  writing) . What  are  you  doing,  my 

dear?  I won't  have  it I forbid  you.  Don't 

worry  about  ms You  must  leave  me  to  my  fate 

Leave  me  to  die  alone I shan't  be  here  to  trouble 

you  long.  Tell  him  that 1 

When  Madge  is  unable  to  find  a stamp,  he  feebly  finds  one  for 
her  and  assures  her  that  he  is  able  to  stay  alone. 

There  is,  in  my  estimation,  one  flaw  in  the  character- 
ization of  The  Perfect  Cure.  That  is  in  Houghton's  picture  of 
Cray  in  Act.  I.  from  which  we  have  quoted  above.  It  is  amusing 
but  perhaps  more  of  a caricature  than  a characterization.  The 
gradual  change  in  Cray's  nature  throughout  Acts  II.  and  III.  is 
much  more  convincing  than  the  portrait  of  him  in  Act  I.  Even 
if  there  are  people  as  selfish  as  Cray  with  daughters  as  blind 
as  Madge  (we  doubt  it),  why  did  Houghton  waste  his  marvellous 
gift  of  realism  upon  them?  Like  the  timely  arrival  of  Gordon 
Leigh  in  Marriages  in  the  Making,  coincidence  comes  in  to  assist 


1 . Ibid  ..  p . 331 . 


. 


-31- 

the  heroine.  We  wonder  if  in  real  life  Martha  Scandrett  would 
not  have  arrived  after  the  posting  of  the  letter  to  Tom.  Then, 
too,  the  dramatist's  theme  of  filial  obedience,  of  the  kind  de- 
scribed, is  as  hopelessly  out  of  fashion  as  the  ducking-stool. 

It  is  unusual  that  a realist  capable  of  H indie  Wakes  should 
descend  to  Don  Quixote's  favorite  pastime  of  tilting  at  wind- 
mills. It  would  seem  to  be  as  useless  as  an  attack  upon  the 
old  Hindu  custom  of  widow  burning. 

In  reviewing  the  longer  plays  of  Stanley  Houghton, 

Hindi e Wakes  being  excluded,  there  are  certain  definite  merits 
and  faults  to  be  observed.  Independent  Means  almost  touches 
the  tragic,  but  ends,  Pollyanna  fashion,  smilingly,  with  none 
of  its  problems  solved.  Marriages  in  the  Making  and  The  Perfect 
Cure  are  of  the  type  traditionally  popular  with  the  "box-office". 
They  are  amusing  but  nothing  more.  The  Younger  Generation  is 
better  than  the  others  of  this  group  because  it  presents  an 
adequate  problem  and  treats  it  adequately. 

It  remains  to  mention  two  interesting,  but  unimportant, 
instances  of  the  unusual  in  Houghton's  technique.  He  has  a 
fondness  for  the  triangular  shaped  stage.  His  settings  are 
always  interesting  and  serve  as  a mild  stimulant  to  the  action. 

A noteworthy  example  of  his  use  of  the  triangular  stage  is,  as 
we  have  pointed  out,  in  The  Younger  Generation.  As  a result 
he  gains  an  intimacy  unequalled  by  anything  else,  except  perhaps 
that  of  Maurice  Maeterlinck  in  Int erieur . Another  detail  of 


. 


}/•* 


-32- 

the  unusual  in  Houghton’s  technique  is  found  in  Partners  . 

There  the  action  of  Act  II.  follows  that  of  Act  I.  without  a 
lapse  of  time,  the  action  going  straight  on. 

There  is,  however,  apart  from  such  incidents  of  tech- 
nique already  mentioned,  an  excellent  reason  for  a detailed 
study  of  these  plays.  Usually,  even  a second-rate  dramatist 
can  create  a realistic  plot,  but  it  takes  a great  dramatist  to 
build  up  a character  that  will  live . It  is  in  this  respect 
that  Houghton  surpasses  the  merely  second-rate  writer.  The 
characterization  is,  as  it  should  be,  the  most  important  part 
of  a play.  Any  dramatist  capable  of  creating  the  egotistical 
Edgar  Forsyth  in  Independent  Means . the  calculating  Mrs.  Cart- 
wright in  Marriages  in  the  Making,  or  the  provincial  Kennion 
family  in  The  Younger  Generation,  deserves  consideration.  It 
is  interesting  that  Partners . written  just  before  H indie  Wakes, 
as  well  as  The  Perfect  Cure,  which  was  written  just  after  it, 
are  notably  weaker  than  Houghton's  masterpiece.  Undeniably, 
The  Younger  Generation  is  the  only  play  in  this  group  that 
measures  up  to  Hindi e Wakes. 


-33- 

CHAPTER  III. 

THE  SHORTER  PLAYS  AND  NON -DRAMATIC  WRITING. 

-a- 

So  far,  the  study  of  Mr.  Houghton's  work  has  been  con- 
fined to  his  most  noteworthy  long  plays,  with  the  exception  of 
Hindi e Wakes.  In  this  chapter  the  six  most  characteristic  one- 

act  plays  and  the  non-dramatic  writing  of  this  dramatist  will 
be  the  subject  of  discussion.  Since  two  of  the  one-act  plays. 
The  Fifth  Commandment  and  Fancy  Free,  are  identical  in  theme 
with  the  longer  plays.  The  Perfect  Cure  and  Partners . they  will 
receive  much  less  attention  than  the  other  four,  which  are 
The  Old  Testament  and  the  New.  The  Dear  Departed.  The  Master  of 
the  House,  and  Phipps ♦ These  plays  are,  like  all  other  one- 
act  plays,  bound  by  certain  limitations  not  found  in  the  longer 
plays.  Therefore,  we  do  not  expect  the  characterization  in 
Mr.  Houghton's  The  Dear  Departed  to  be  as  careful  as  that  found 
in  The  Younger  Generation.  But  we  do  expect  a one-act  play  to 
be  a complete  picture  done  as  crisply  and  strikingly  as  the 
time  limitation  permits.  How  well  Mr.  Houghton  succeeds  in 
meeting  the  demands  of  the  one-act  play  remains  to  be  seen. 

Judging  by  the  titles  of  the  plays  written  in  the 
period  before  1905,  Houghton  must  have  written  melodrama. 


. 


' 


-34- 

After  Nasebv.  The  Last  Shot,  and  The  Blue  Phial  are  obviously 
melodramatic,  suggesting  from  their  titles  that  an  active  imagin- 
ation can  recreate  pictures  of  poor  soldiers  or  lonely  ladies 
in  distress,  who  are  driven  to  gun -play  or  "blue  phials"  of 
poison.  But  in  The  Old  Testament  and  the  New.  1905,  Stanley 
Houghton  begins  to  rise  above  the  welter  of  blood  and  tears 
usually  found  in  melodrama.  That  this  play  has  certain  touches 
which  may  be  said  to  resemble  its  predecessors,  there  is  no 
doubt . Christopher  Battersby  in  The  Old  Testament  and  the  New 
is  the  sort  of  man  who  still  believes  in  the  "Old  Testament" 
standard  of  justice  untempered  by  "New  Testament"  love.  At 
the  beginning  of  the  action  he  is  balancing  his  accounts  as 
chapel  steward.  Martha,  his  frail  old  wife,  is  busy  setting 
the  table.  Edward  Fielding,  who  was  to  have  married  the 
Battersbys’  daughter  Mary  if  she  had  not  eloped  with  a married 
man,  comes  in  for  supper.  He  tries  to  tell  Martha  that  he  has 
been  married.  But  rather  than  hurt  Martha's  sentimental  old 
heart,  he  says  that  he  still  loves  Mary  and  that  he  would  marry 
her  if  she  came  back.  Edward  goes  out  for  a few  minutes  and 
Mary  slides  in  through  the  half-opened  outer  door.  Christopher 
receives  the  prodigal  with  no  degree  of  affection,  but  Martha 
is  almost  overwhelmed  with  love  for  her  only  child.  The  stern 
Christopher  will  not  allow  Martha  to  embrace  Mary.  Mary  says 
that  she  ha3  always  been  faithful  to  the  man  she  loved,  but 
that  the  man's  wife  would  not  divorce  him,  so  that  they  never 


-35- 


married.  Edward  returns  and  tells  of  his  recent  marriage. 
Christopher  turns  Mary  out  on  the  street  when  he  finds  that  her 
reputation  can  not  be  rescued.  The  play  ends  with  Martha  faint- 
ing in  her  chair,  and  Christopher’s  announcement  of  his  inten- 
tion of  reading  aloud  the  eighth  chapter  of  St.  John's  Gospel. 

This  ending  of  the  play  gives  a feeling  of  completeness 
accompanied  by  a trace  of  horror.  The  main  theme  of  action  is 
realistic  and  superbly  serious  in  tone.  But  the  play  is  marred 
by  a touch  of  melodrama  in  the  relation  between  Martha  Battersby 
and  her  daughter.  No  mother  who  had  not  seen  her  daughter  for 
several  years  would  allow  the  girl  to  go  without  even  touching 
her.  Furthermore,  the  speeches  are  longer  and  less  natural 
than  those  of  Mr.  Houghton's  later  plays.  But  as  a whole.  The 
Old  Testament  and  the  New  deserves  considerable  credit  in  that 
it  is  powerful,  clear  and  serious. 

The  Dear  Departed,  written  three  years  after  The  Old 
Testament  and  the  New  (1908),  gives  evidence  of  Houghton's 
improving  technique  and  realism.  Thinking  her  father,  Abel 
Merriweather , dead,  Mrs.  Slater  has  sent  for  her  sister,  Mrs. 
Jordan,  in  order  to  divide  the  old  gentleman's  property.  The 
opening  of  the  play  finds  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Slater  moving  Abel's 
clock  and  bureau,  purchased  since  Mrs.  Jordan's  last  visit, 
into  their  own  living-room.  This  has  scarcely  been  done,  when 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jordan  are  ushered  in  by  the  Slaters'  daughter 


-36- 


Victoria.  Everyone  is  dressed  in  deep  mourning.  Abel's 
daughters  are  much  troubled  for  fear  he  has  forgotten  to  pay 
his  insurance  premium.  In  the  midst  of  this  discussion  the 
old.  chap  enters  chuckling  over  the  terror  he  has  caused.  His 
two  daughters  attempt  to  lie  their  way  out  of  the  situation 
without  success.  When  Abel's  daughters  discover  that  their 
father  intends  to  marry  again  they  are  absolutely  nonplussed. 
The  curtain  falls  upon  a scene  of  complete  mental  paralysis 
following  Abel  Merriweather 1 s announcement  of  his  marriage, 
which  is  to  take  place  the  following  Monday . 

This  play  is  by  far  the  best  of  Mr.  Houghton's  one- 
act  comedies . The  play  begins  crisply  and  ends  with  an  almost 
perfect  "curtain".  The  dialogue,  which  is  in  a provincial 
dialect,  ripples  and  sparkles  with  laughter.  What  could  be 
more  amusing  than  the  scene  where  Victoria,  a precocious  girl 
of  ten,  almost  gives  the  situation  away. 

(Victoria  runs  across  to  Abel  and  sits  on  the  floor 
at  his  feet . ) 

Victoria ♦ Oh,  grandpa,  I'm  so  glad  you're  not  dead. 

Mrs  . Slater  (in  a vindictive  whisper) . Hold  your  tongue, 
Victoria . 

Abel . Eh?  What's  that?  Who's  gone  dead? 

Mrs  . Slater  (loudly) . Victoria  says  she's  sorry  about 
your  head. 


-37- 

Abel.  Ah,  thank  you,  Vicky,  but  I’m  feeling  better. 

Mrs  , Slater  (to  Mrs  . Jordan) . He's  so  fond  of  Victoria. 

Mrs . Jordan  (to  Mrs  . Slater ) . Yes;  he’s  fond  of  our 
Jimmy,  too. 

Mrs.  Slater.  You'd  better  ask  him  if  he  promised  your 
Jimmy  his  gold  watch. 

Mrs  . Jordan  (disconcerted) . I couldn't  just  now.  I 
don't  feel  equal  to  it 

This  may  not  be  the  best  example  of  realistic  dialogue 
in  the  play  but  it  is  one  of  the  most  quotable.  The  develop- 
ment of  the  plot  is  equalled  only  by  the  dramatist's  masterly 
characterization  of  old  Abel.  As  a picture  of  a shrewd,  vigor- 
ous old  man  it  is  perfect.  The  curtain  falls  after  the  follow- 
ing piece  of  simple  narration. 

Abel.  I'll  tell  you  what  I've  got  to  do.  On  Monday 
next  I've  got  to  do  three  things.  I've  got  to  go 
to  the  lawyers  and  alter  my  will;  and  I've  got  to  go 
to  the  insurance  office  to  pay  my  premium;  and  I've 
got  to  go  to  St.  Philips's  Church  to  get  married. 

Mrs  . Jordan . Get  married'. 

Mrs.  Slater.  He's  out  of  his  senses. 

(General  consternation.) 


1*  Ibid . . v.  3,  pp . 43-44. 


-38- 


Abel . I say  I'm  going  to  get  married. 

Mrs . Slater . Who  to? 

Abel.  To  Mrs.  John  Shorrocks  who  keeps  the  Ring-o ' -Bells • 
We've  had  it  fixed  up  a good  while  now,  but  I was  keep- 
ing it  for  a pleasant  surprise.  I felt  I was  a bit 
of  a burden  to  you,  so  I found  some  one  who'd  think 
it  a pleasure  to  look  after  me.  We  shall  be  glad 
to  see  you  at  the  ceremony.  Till  Monday,  then. 

It '3  a good  thing  you  brought  that  bureau  downstairs, 
'Melia.  It'll  be  handier  to  carry  across  to  the 
Ring -c ' -Bells  on  Monday.1 

Stanley  Houghton's  next  play,  The  Master  of  the  House, 
is  in  a very  different  key.  The  drama  has  a touch  of  the  eerie 
about  it  in  the  ending,  where  the  dead  man  is  left  alone  in 
the  house.  At  rise,  Mrs.  Ovens  and  her  sister  Edie  are  sitting 
on  opposite  sides  of  the  table  talking  about  the  invalid  Mr. 
Ovens,  who  sits  in  his  armchair  at  the  back  of  the  stage  with 
his  back  toward  the  audience.  Edie  suggests  that  they  give 
Mr.  Ovens  something  to  eat;  they  have  just  finished  their  tea. 
Mrs.  Ovens  doesn't  care  to  be  disturbed.  Mrs.  Ovens,  the 
invalid's  second  wife,  has  sent  for  the  lawyer  in  order  to 
crowd  Ovens'  son  Fred  out  of  his  inheritance.  The  woman's 
character  is  summarized  in  two  of  the  lines  in  this  scene. 


1.  Ibid.,  p.  57. 


. 


-39- 


Mrs.  Ovens.  He  was  sixty -six  when  I married  him;  he’s 
seventy-one  new.  He'll  not  last  much  longer,  and 
I'm  only  thirty-five.1 

Fred's  unexpected  arrival  upsets  his  stepmother's  plans.  The 
object,  of  course,  is  to  get  Fred  out  of  the  house  in  order  to 
change  the  will  while  Ovens  is  still  capable  of  signing  it. 

The  doctor,  a wonderful,  sane  sort  of  person  in  the  midst  of 
so  much  strife,  drops  in  for  his  daily  call  . He  walks  over 
toward  Mr.  Ovens  and  tries  to  awaken  him.  His  patient  is  dead. 
The  last  part  of  the  action  is  remarkably  crisp  and  concise. 

Fred  turns  Mrs.  Ovens  and  her  sister  out,  and  is  left  alone 
in  the  house.  Gradually  the  figure  of  his  father  in  his  shroud 
changes  him  from  a self-satisfied  brute  to  a cringing  coward 
who  skulks  out  of  the  room,  leaving  the  dead  man  "master  of 
the  house  . " 

Obviously,  the  unusual  combination  of  realistic 
characterization  with  the  eerie  figure  of  the  dead  man  in  the 
background,  needs  explanation.  Fred  is  an  ignorant  cowardly 
half -savage;  superstition  and  an  evil  conscience  prove  his 
undoing.  Therefore  Houghton  carefully  creates  a situation 
which  knocks  all  the  false  courage  out  of  this  bully  . The 
unlighted  room,  the  shrouded  body  of  Fred's  father,  and  the 


1 . Ibid.,  p . 57 . 


* 


' 


-40- 


eerie  effect  of  the  moonlight  upon  this  figure,  reduce  Fred  to 
hysteria.  Mr.  Houghton's  use  of  hysteria  is,  in  small  degree, 
not  unlike  Eugene  O'Neil's  in  Emperor  Jones.  In  both  instances 
a man  slowly  crumbles  into  hysteria,  although  Fred's  moral 
collapse  is  much  less  complete  than  that  of  Jones.  The  economy 
of  speech  in  the  last  scene,  in  which  Fred  is  left  alone  with 
the  seated  figure  in  its  shroud,  is  excellent  . It  is  worth 
quoting,  in  part  at  least.  Fred  has  been  looking  at  the  figure 
in  the  chair. 

Fred.  Pleasant  night.  Hm '.  You  won't  interfere  with 
me.  I'm  not — afraid  of  you.  You  can't  turn  me  out 
of  doors  now.  (Fred  shivers . ) I've  no  money.  (He 
thinks . ) They  always  used  to  keep  some  money  in  the 
sideboard  drawer.  Can't  see  a thing,  and  I've  no 
matches . (He  pulls  up  the  blind.  As  he  turns  he 
comes  full  on  the  silent  figure  of  Mr.  Ovens,  sitting 
rigid,  ghastly  in  the  glare  of  the  moon.  Fred  starts 
back  with  an  oath  and  drops  the  cash-box.)  Don't 
look  at  me  like  that.  You  can't  frighten  me.  You 
shan't  turn  me  out,  I tell  you.  Don't  look  at  me 
like  that'.  I didn't  know  you  were  dead  when  I 
cursed  you.  (Another  pause:  he  shudders  and  covers 
hia  face  with  his  hanir.)  God'.  I can't  stand  it. 

(He  steals  silently  out  of  the  room.  The  front  door 
is  heard  closing. ) 


-41- 


The  Fifth  Commandment  and  Fancy  Free,  both  written 
during  the  month  of  March,  1911,  duplicate  the  themes  in  The 
Perfect  Cure  and  Partners , respectively.  In  The  Fifth  Com- 
mandment there  is  another  daughter  acting  as  slave  to  a parent, 
like  Madge  Cray  and  her  father,  Vincent  Cray,  in  this  instance 
Mrs.  Mountain  and  Nelly.  As  in  the  case  of  the  longer  play, 
there  is  a suitor  who  will  not  wait  for  the  parent  to  die. 

Nelly,  faced  with  the  problem  of  a choice  between  love  and  duty, 
accepts  the  latter.  There  is  a certain  Mr.  Shoosmith  who  is 
in  love  with  Mrs.  Mountain.  Nelly  informs  him  of  her  mother's 
illness  (an  illness  which  is  feigned  like  Mr.  Cray's  in  The 
Perfect  Cure) . But  Mr.  Shoosmith  will  have  nothing  to  do  with 
Mrs.  Mountain  when  he  hears  of  her  being  an  invalid;  he  profits, 
in  this  case,  by  his  experience  with  an  invalid  first  wife. 

The  play  closes  with  Mrs.  Mountain's  resumption  of  her  novel. 

She  is  perfectly  contented.  Now,  although  the  play  is  a comedy 
it  touches  upon  the  tragic  in  the  case  of  Nelly  and  her  sweet- 
heart . There  is  no  one  to  interfere  here,  as  there  wa3  in 
The  Perfect  Cure,  so  that  Nelly's  problem  is  unsolved.  As 
in  the  longer  play,  the  characterization  is  good,  but  the  theme 
weak.  As  for  Fancy  Free,  the  pocket  edition  of  Partners . 
little  can  be  said  in  its  favor.  It  lacks  much  of  the  sparkle 
of  the  longer  play.  Again  we  have  two  young  married  couples, 
Fancy  and  her  husband  Alfred,  Ethelbert  and  Delia.  The  main 
distinction  is  in  the  ending,  for  the  two  women  exchange  hus- 


. 


-42- 


bands  , and  everything  goes  on  as  before.  The  serious  note  is 
lacking  in  this  treatment  of  the  Partners  theme.  It  is  the 
sort  of  thing  one  would  expect  from  a hack  writer,  not  Stanley 
Houghton.  Furthermore  it  is  the  one  play  of  this  dramatist 
that  drags  its  skirts  into  the  mud  of  vulgarity. 

Phipps  is  the  last  of  Houghton's  plays  included  in 
the  Brighouse  edition,  and  the  worst.  It  is  lifted  above  the 
level  of  farce  merely  through  its  characterization.  Sir  Gerald 
and  Lady  Fanny  are  in  the  midst  of  a lively  argument  when  the 
curtain  rises.  They  are  both  anxious  for  a divorce  and  have 
decided  that  "grounds"  mu3t  be  created.  Cruelty  seems  the 
most  likely  thing,  whereupon  they  plan  a scene  of  that  kind 
and  ring  for  the  butler,  Phipps.  This  servant,  instead  of 
merely  acting  as  witness,  as  they  had  intended,  knocks  Sir 
Gerald  down,  and  addressing  Lady  Fanny  calmly  inquires  if  she 
rang  for  him.  When  they  explain  the  matter  to  this  perfect 
specimen  of  servitude,  he  solves  the  problem  for  them  by  patch- 
ing up  their  quarrel.  Phipps  then  tells  Lady  Fanny  he  is  in 
love  with  her  and  gives  notice  at  the  same  time.  Whereupon 
Lady  Fanny  murmurs  rapturously  to  her  husband,  "Oh  Gerald'. 

If  only  you  would  try  to  be  more  like  him."^  In  exactly  what 
way,  we  are  left  to  imagine.  There  can  be  no  doubt  about  the 
brilliance  of  dialogue  in  this  play  . But  if  Houghton  was 


1 • Ibid  . , v.  3,  p . 135 . 


-43- 

attempting  farce,  he  failed.  Even  as  a farce  it  is  forced  and 
trifling.  In  fact,  there  is  nothing  in  the  whole  play  that 
interests  us  except  Phipps  himself  . But  even  Phipps  appears 
to  be  a somewhat  imperfect  reflection  of  Barrie's  Admirable 
Crichton.  The  play  is  a failure. 

Of  this  group  of  Houghton's  one -act  plays,  The  Dear 
Departed  stands  out  as  The  Younger  Generation  did  in  the  longer 
plays.  It  possesses  all  those  things  generally  expected  from 
a one-act  play,  good  characterization,  notably  Abel  Merriweather 
crisp  dialogue  and  completeness  of  situation.  The  other  one- 
act  plays  fail  in  different  ways.  The  Old  Testament  and  the 
New  is  a serious  attempt  but  unconvincing  in  the  daughter- 
mother  relationship.  The  Master  of  the  House  is  good  drama 
but  not,  strictly  speaking,  good  realism,  especially  in  the 
character  of  Fred  Ovens  . Fancy  Free  and  The  Fifth  Commandment 
are  inadequate  developments  of  the  themes  of  Partners  and  The 
Perfect  Cure.  Phipps  is  almost  a farce  and  therefore  unworthy 
of  a great  dramatist  and  realist.  Of  these  six  plays  only  one, 
The  Dear  Departed,  has  been  produced  more  than  once.  On  the 
whole,  a play  that  is  worth  as  many  performances  as  this  one 
has  had,  will  live.  This  play  of  Mr.  Houghton's  deserves  to 
be  handed  down,  as  we  have  said  before,  because  of  its  excellent 
characterization  and  its  amusing  theme. 


. 


-44- 

-b- 

Any  treatment  of  Stanley  Houghton's  realism  that  did 
not  contain  a brief  statement  of  that  found  in  his  non-dramatic 
work  would  be  incomplete.  The  Dramatic  Criticisms,  in  the 
last  volume  of  the  published  works,  may  be  omitted  since  they 
are  not,  strictly  speak ing,  creative  work.  The  Essays  and 
Sketches  include  many  realistic  descriptions.  In  Fritz's,  for 
example,  the  description  of  the  once  popular  restaurant  with  its 
doughty  host  is  obviously  drawn  from  London  life.  This  3ame 
volume  includes,  beside  the  above  mentioned  essays  and  criticisms 
four  short  stories,  chosen  by  Mr.  Brighouse  as  typical.  The 
Dying  Lie  is  so  melodramatic  that  it  almost  offends  us,  because 
the  time  is  past  when  the  "steal thy -footed”  villain  can  pursue 
the  heroine  to  her  husband's  deathbed  without  arousing  healthy 
amusement  . The  Time  of  his  Life  is  farcical  in  nature,  and 
faintly  reminiscent  of  Booth  Tarkington's  tales  of  adolescent 
youth.  One  wonders  if  in  Grey , the  idealistic  young  man  caught 
in  the  machinery  of  business  is  not  drawn  from  Mr.  Houghton's 
own  experiences  in  his  father’s  office  in  Meal  Street,  Manchester 
Through  realistic  description  we  see  this  Charles  Edward  as  a 
dramatic  figure.  He  would  have  been  excellent  in  a drama  like 
Miss  Baker’s  Chains . Even  in  this  short-story  we  see  things 
through  the  eyes  of  a realist,  for  the  whole  is  written  in  the 
unmistakable  tone  of  pessimism. 


-45- 


The  fragment  of  unfinished  novel  that  Stanley  Houghton 
left  for  us,  is  entitled  Lif  e . The  story,  so  far  as  the  author 
carries  us,  deals  with  a young  girl  with  a weak  will,  named 
Maggie.  Finding  herself  engaged  to  one  man  but  in  love  with 
another,  she  elopes  with  her  lover.  She  finds  the  man  she  ran 
off  with  to  be  already  married.  The  actual  ending  is  suggested 
in  certain  lines  in  Mr.  Houghton's  note-book.  "Maggie  goe3  on 
the  street”  and  "Maggie's  religious  feelings  grow  strong.” 

There  are  traces,  here,  of  the  Hindle  Wakes  theme.  The 
pessimism  of  Houghton's  realism  comes  out  in  the  title.  Mag- 
gie's life  was  evidently  the  result  of  certain  unfortunate  cir- 
cumstances. Houghton's  title  Lif e . therefore,  suggests  that  he 
meant  that  all  life  was  a succession  of  more  or  less  unfortunate 
accidents . 

In  concluding  this  analysis  of  the  shorter  plays  and 
non-dramatic  writing,  certain  features  appear.  The  graph  of 
a writer's  work  generally  undulates  to  a certain  extent,  and 
these  plays  and  stories  may  be  said  to  represent  some  of  those 
undulations  . The  novel  Life.?  the  story  Grey , and  the  one-act 
play  The  Dear  Departed,  represent  high  points  in  the  curve  of 
Houghton's  writing.  The  Master  of  the  House  and  Phinos  are 
the  lower  points  in  this  curve.  But  even  the  severest  of 
critics  would  grant  Mr.  Houghton  an  occasional  experiment  or 
failure.  However,  there  is  nothing  in  this  group  that  would 
entitle  him  to  particular  notice.  As  Mr.  Courtney  would  say, 


■ 


-46- 


"the  passionate  hatred  of  hypocrisy  and  sham",  so  essentially 
a part  of  a great  realist's  work,  is  lacking. 


-47- 


CHAPTER  IV. 

HINDLE  WAKES 

Throughout  the  previous  chapters,  it  has  been  more 
than  once  suggested  that  Hindi e Wakes  is  the  culmination  of 
Stanley  Houghton’s  literary  efforts.  Furthermore,  this  play 
has  been  the  standard  by  which  his  other  writings  have  been 
measured.  Therefore  this  chapter  contains  a summary  of  Hindi e 
Wakes . a criticism  of  the  play,  and  a comparison  of  it  with  St. 
John  Ervine's  Ma unanimous  Lover . and  John  Galsworthy's  The 
Eldest  Son,  two  other  plays  presenting  treatments  of  the  same 
theme . 

The  action  of  the  play  begins  with  the  August  bank- 
holiday,  which  terminates  the  midsummer  week-end,  known  in 
Lancashire  as  "the  wakes".  In  Act  I.  Christopher  Hawthorn,  a 
mill-worker,  and  his  wife  are  sitting  in  their  living-room 
kitchen,  awaiting  the  return  of  their  daughter  Fanny  . Fanny 
comes  in  talking  about  her  interesting  week-end  spent  with  her 
friend  Mary,  at  the  nearby  summer  resort  of  Blackpool.  Fanny's 
mother  puts  her  through  a cross-examination.  The  parents  doubt 
her  story  . Fanny  says  she  will  bring  Mary  in  as  witness  in  the 
case.  Christopher  tells  his  daughter  he  has  already  been  at 
Blackpool  during  the  day  to  see  Mary.  Fanny  begins  to  be 


-48- 


f Tightened.  Christopher  tells  Fanny  that  Mary  has  been  drowned. 

Overwhelmed  by  her  friend's  death,  Fanny  confesses  to  having 
gone  off  with  Alan  Jeff cote.  Mrs.  Hawthorn,  after  the  girl's 
exit,  tells  Christopher  to  go  up  and  interview  Nathaniel  Jeff- 
cote,  Alan's  father.  The  second  scene  of  Act  I.  deals  with 
Christopher's  interview  with  Jeffcote.  It  also  appears  that 
Alan  is  engaged  to  marry  Beatrice  Farrar,  the  daughter  of  an- 
other wealthy  mill  owner.  Jeffcote  gives  Christopher  his  word 
to  see  that  Fanny  is  "treated  right".  Scene  3,  Act  I.,  sees 
the  return  of  Alan  Jeffcote.  In  trying  to  light  the  gas,  he 
upsets  a vase  which  falls  with  a crash,  bringing  old  Jeffcote 
down  to  investigate  the  noise.  After  considerable  paternal 
pressure  Alan  tells  of  his  escapade  with  Fanny,  whereupon  Jeff- 
cote orders  him  to  marry  the  girl. 

Act  II.  opens  with  a scene  between  Jeffcote  and  his 
wife,  in  which  he  tells  her  that  Alan  will  have  to  break  his 
engagement  to  Beatrice  to  marry  Fanny  . Sir  Timothy  Farrar  and 
Beatrice  drop  in  to  call  and  are  informed  of  the  Alan-Fanny 
affair.  Alan  is  shown  to  be  very  much  in  love  with  Beatrice, 
who  returns  his  affection.  Alan  tells  Beatrice  that  the  affair 
was  a "lark".  Beatrice,  however,  can  not  see  it  in  that  light 
and  tells  Alan  she  will  never  marry  him  "whilst  Fanny  Hawthorn 
has  a better  right." 


-49- 


At  rise  in  Act  III.  Ada,  the  Jeffcote's  maid,  shows 
Christopher,  Mrs.  Hawthorn  and  Fanny  into  the  room.  When  the 
Jeffcotes  enter  there  is  a feeling  of  constraint  until  Jeffcote 
takes  the  situation  into  his  own  hands.  The  two  young  people 
admit  they  were  registered  as  man  and  wife,  at  a certain  hotel 
from  Saturday  till  Monday  during  "the  wakes”.  Jeffcote  says 
he  gave  his  word  to  see  Fanny  well  treated,  and  he  intends  that 
the  wedding  shall  take  place  at  once.  Everything  is  planned 
by  the  older  people  when  Fanny  suddenly  interrupts,  saying  that 
she  doesn’t  intend  marrying  Alan.  Believing  Alan  able  to  per- 
suade her,  the  parents  leave  the  young  people  alone.  Fanny 
tells  Alan  that  he  isn't  the  sort  of  man  she  would  care  to 
marry.  She  foresees  only  an  unhappy  marriage.  Furthermore, 
she  tells  him  she  went  into  the  thing  in  the  same  spirit  he  did; 
it  was  only  a "lark"  . She  maintains  her  self-confidence  even 
after  the  older  people  return.  The  Jeffcotes  are  surprised 
but  delighted  at  Fanny's  attitude.  Christopher  Hawthorn  is 
sympathetic  but  Mrs.  Hawthorn  tells  Fanny  "she  may  pack  off". 
After  the  Hawthorns  have  left  (Alan  showing  them  out)  the  Jeff- 
cotes await  his  return.  Alan  comes  in  to  announce  his  instant 
departure  for  the  Farrars.  The  final  curtain  comes  down  upon 
Alan's  parents  ruminating  upon  the  situation,  Jeffcote  express- 
ing his  disgust  with  Alan. 


■ 


-50- 

Even  this  somewhat  sketchy  summary  reveals  the  purpose 
of  the  play.  Hindis  Wakes  is  almost  without  action,  the  plot 
is  slight,  but  its  strength  depends  on  revelation  of  character. 
These  scenes  are  of  the  simplest,  yet  they  possess  the  qualities 
of  suspense  and  interest.  The  careful  maintenance  of  suspense 
in  the  interesting  first  scene  of  Act  I.  is  an  example.  The 
audience  is  given  to  understand  that  the  Hawthorns  know  more 
about  Fanny's  week-end  with  Mary  than  is  shown,  but  just  what 
this  information  is,  we  do  not  learn  until  Christopher  tells 
Fanny  of  her  churn's  death.  Then,  again,  in  the  third  act, 
there  is  Houghton's  careful  focusing  of  attention  upon  the  one 
silent  figure  in  the  scene.  The  Jeff cotes  and  Hawthorns  are 
even  planning  the  details  of  the  wedding,  but  we  feel  that 
Fanny  will  eventually  disrupt  their  plans;  therefore  our  at- 
tention is  centered  on  that  quiet  figure  in  the  head-shawl. 

All  the  discussion  between  Fanny's  parents,  as  well  as  that 
between  Jeffcote  and  Christopher,  has  led  us  to  expect  the 
unusual  from  this  girl.  We  are  not  disappointed.  This  is,  of 
course,  the  big  scene  of  the  play.  Up  until  this  scene  Fanny 
seems  to  have  been  controlled  by  the  situations;  now  she  turns 
the  tables.  Her  defense,  with  its  refusal  of  "the  reparation 
of  marriage",  leaves  the  audience  with  something  serious  to 
think  about . 

The  reason  for  the  play's  success  does  not  depend 
wholly  upon  its  extraordinary  ending.  The  whole  play  is  made 


. 


-51- 

interest  ing,  on  the  stage,  by  Houghton's  use  of  the  pungent 
dialect  of  Lancashire.  The  way  in  which  the  dramatist  searches 
out  the  petty  prejudices  of  the  Jeffcotes  and  the  Hawthorns 
and  balances  these  with  equally  petty  weaknesses,  is  a revelatior 
of  humor.  Here  are  the  materials  of  tragedy,  treated  with  a 
quiet  terse  humor.  As  we  shall  see  later,  Galsworthy  and 
Ervine  both  prefer  the  tragic  treatment  . But  Houghton,  al- 
though he  touches  the  tragic  in  the  death  of  Mary  and  its  effect 
upon  Fanny  in  Act  I.,  and  in  the  terrible  disillusionment  of 
Beatrice  Farrar,  leavens  the  whole  by  his  use  of  the  comic. 

As  usual  this  is  Houghton's  realism,  for  life  is  at  times  tragic 
and  at  times  comic  in  tone,  but  more  frequently  the  two  elements 
are  blended.  The  thunderstorm  background  of  Act  I.,  Scene  1> 
in  which  Mrs.  Hawthorn  browbeats  the  truth  out  of  her  daughter, 
may  be  said  to  be  the  one  fly  in  the  ointment  of  Houghton's 
realism,  for  stage  thunder  is  never  realistic.  As  for  Beatrice 
Farrar,  her  disillusionment  is  not  entirely  tragic  because  of 
her  own  standards.  There  is  in  Act  II.  that  memorable  scene 

between  Beatrice  and  Alan.  This  is  the  culmination  of  their 
discussion . 

Alan.  If  only  you'll  stick  to  me.  If  only  you'll  tell 
me  you  forgive  me. 

Beatrice  (at  length) . Could  you  have  forgiven  me  if 
I had  done  the  same  as  you? 


■ 


-52- 

Alan  (surprised)  . But  you — you — couldn’t  do  it’. 

Beatrice . Fanny  Hawthorn  did. 

Alan.  She's  not  your  class. 

Beatrice ♦ She’s  a woman. 

Alan.  That's  just  it.  It's  different  with  a woman. 

Beatrice . Yet  you  expect  me  to  forgive  you.  It  doesn't 
seem  fair . 

Alan.  It  isn't  fair.  But  it's  usual. 

Beatrice . I can  see  that  there  is  a difference  between 
men  and  women  in  cases  of  this  sort . 

Alan.  You  can? 

Beatrice.  Lien  haven't  so  much  self-control. 

Alan.  Don't  be  cruel,  Bee.  There's  no  need  to  rub  it  ini 

Beatrice ♦ I'm  not  being  personal,  Alan.  I'm  old-f ashionec 
enough  to  really  believe  there  is  that  difference.  You 
see,  men  have  never  had  to  exercise  self-control  like 
women  have.  And  so  I'm  old-fashioned  enough  to  be 
able  to  forgive  you.1 

We  can  be  sorry  for  Beatrice,  but  there  is  nothing 
in  her  character  that  is  particularly  tragic. 

There  is,  too,  the  inevitable  lightening  of  the  tragic 
by  touches  of  the  comic,  previously  spoken  of.  The  following 


1.  Houghton,  Stanley:  Works,  v.  2,  p.  155. 


. , 


* 


-53- 

instance  is  quoted  as  an  example  of  Houghton's  silver  lining. 
Jeff cote  has  always  been  aware  of  his  son's  short  comings,  but 
the  blow  has  rather  upset  Mrs.  Jeffcote.  She  has  been  attempt- 
ing to  persuade  Jeffcote  not  to  break  the  Beatrice-Alan  engage- 
ment . Suddenly  with  a characteristically  feminine  shift  of 
mood  she  says: 

Strike  a light,  Nat. 

(He  lights  the  gas.) 

Do  I look  as  if  I'd  been  crying? 

Jeffcote.  Why?  Have  you  been  crying? 

Mrs.  Jeffcote.  Er — no'. 

Jeffcote.  It  doesn't  show.  Nothing  to  speak  of'.^ 

This  is  perhaps  a somewhat  inconspicuous  detail  but  it  is  char- 
acteristic of  Houghton's  method.  This  is  an  example  of  his 
knowledge  of  life.  Our  minds,  like  Mrs.  Jeffcote 's,  skip  from 
the  serious  to  the  trivial,  from  cowardly  sons  to  unpowdered 
noses  . 

Equally  important  with  Houghton's  treatment  of  his 
theme  is  the  characterization.  In  the  first  place,  Alan  is 
an  out  and  out  coward.  Houghton  makes  us  feel  Alan's  cowardice 
and  conceit  . In  the  scene  between  Alan  and  Beatrice,  instead 


1 . Ibid  . . p.  137. 


-54- 

of  saying  he  can't  give  Beatrice  up,  he  says, 

"Bee,  you're  talking  nonsense.  You  can't  give  me  up — 
you  can't  give  me  up,  however  much  you  try."1 
Then,  too,  there  is  the  scene  between  Fanny  and  Alan,  in  the 
last  act  . 

Fanny  . You  can't  understand  a girl  not  jumping  at  you 
when  she  gets  the  chance,  can  you? 

Alan.  I can't  understand  you  not  taking  me  when  you 

p 

get  the  chance."' 

But  it  is  in  the  last  scene  before  the  final  curtain  that  we 
get  the  full  value  of  Houghton's  characterization.  Alan  an- 
nounces his  intention  of  running  around  to  the  Farrars'. 

Mrs.  Jeff cote.  You're  going  to  ask  her  to  marry  you? 
Alan  (laconically)  . Happen  I am'. 

Jeff  cote . Well,  I'm  damned'.  Dost  thou  reckon  she'll 
have  thee? 

Alan.  That  remains  to  be  seen. 

Jeff cote . Well,  if  Beatrice  Farrar  can  fancy  thee,  it's 
not  for  me  to  be  too  particular. 

Alan . Thank  you,  father. 

Jeff  cot  e . Get  along'.  I'm  disgusted  with  thee'. 


■n 

± • 

Ibid . , 

P • 

157  . 

3. 

Ibid . . 

P • 

170. 

3 . 

Ibid . , 

P • 

181  . 

-55- 


This  last  bit  of  dialogue  characterizes  Jeffcote,  as  well  as 
Alan.  Old  Jeffcote  is  an  excellent  business  man,  even  his  plans 
for  his  son  are  built  on  a material  foundation.  When  he  is 
faced  with  the  Fanny-Alan  problem,  he  does  just  what  we  would 
expect  from  a business  man,  he  satisfies  himself  that  it  is 
true  by  examining  the  evidence.  Having  come  to  a decision, 
he  gives  Alan  his  ultimatum,  because  "he  believes  that  marriage 
alone  can  heal  the  wound  to  a woman's  honor."'1'  Mrs.  Hawthorn 
is  a consistently  disagreeable  old  shrew.  It  is  always  Chris- 
topher who  tempers  the  wind  for  Fanny.  The  following  dialogue 
is  characteristic  of  Mrs.  Hawthorn. 

Mrs.  Hawthorn.  I say,  I wonder  if  she's  done  this  on 
purpose,  after  all.  Plenty  of  girls  have  made  good 
matches  that  way  . 

Christopher . She  said  they  never  mentioned  marriage. 

You  heard  her . 

Mrs.  Hawthorn.  Well,  he  mightn't  have  gone  with  her  if 
she  had.  Happen  she's  cleverer  than  we  think  ? 

And  again,  in  the  last  act  after  Fanny  has  announced  her  de- 
cision : 

Christopher . Take  no  heed  of  it*.  My  missus  don't  rightly 
know  what  she's  saying  just  now. 


1.  Chandler,  F.  W.:  Aspects  of  Modern  Drama,  p.  325. 
3.  Houghton,  Stanley:  Works . v.  2,  p.  103. 


-56- 


Mra  . Hawthorn.  Don't  she?  You're  making  a big  mistake 
if  you  think  that.  Fanny  can  go  home  and  fetch  her 
things  and  after  that  she  may  pack  off. 

Christopher  . That  she'll  not'. 

Mrs.  Hawthorn.  Then  I'll  make  it  so  hot  for  her  in  the 
house,  and  for  thee,  too,  that  thou 'll  be  glad  to  see 
the  back  of  her 

There  can  be  no  question  of  Mrs.  Hawthorn's  ability  to  make  it 
uncomfortable  for  her  family.  As  for  the  characterization  of 
Fanny,  it  is  as  near  perfect  as  anything  I know  of.  In  Act  I., 
her  father  speaks  of  her  as  a mystery. 

Christopher . I can't  defend  her.  She's  always  been  a 
bit  of  a mystery  to  her  mother  and  me.  There's  that 
in  her  veins  as  keeps  her  restless  and  uneasy  . If 
she  sees  you  want  her  to  do  one  thing  she'll  go  right 
away  and  do  t'other  out  of  pure  cussedness.  She  won't 
be  driven,  not  any  road.  I had  a dog  just  like  her 
once  .3 

Now  Fanny  may  be  stubborn,  but  she  is  no  mystery  to  Houghton's 
audience  at  the  end  of  the  play.  Some  of  Houghton's  critics 
have  said  Fanny  is  nothing  but  an  animal,  others  have  declared 


1.  Ibid. . p.  179. 

2.  Ibid.,  p.  116. 


. 


■ 


. 


-57- 


her  to  be  the  dramatist's  representation  of  the  "new  woman". 
Actually,  it  would  seem  that  Fanny  possesses  both  of  these 
characteristics.  She  is  a handsome  animal,  "a  hot-blooded 
little  wench,"  as  Jeff cote  would  say,  who  defends  herself  to 
Alan  in  a most  unusual  manner,  the  manner  of  the  "new  woman." 

Alan.  But  you  didn't  ever  really  love  me? 

Fanny . Love  you?  Good  heavens,  of  course  not'.  Why 
on  earth  should  I love  you?  You  were  just  some  one 
to  have  a bit  of  fun  with.  You  were  an  amusement — 
a lark 

Later  on  she  says: 

You're  not  good  enough  for  me.  My_  husband,  if  ever  I 

have  one,  will  be  a man,  not  a fellow  who'll  throw  over 

2 

his  girl  at  his  father's  bidding'. 

After  Christopher  has  tried  to  interfere  she  reassures  him  by 
saying, 

I'm  a Lancashire  lass,  and  so  long  as  there's  weaving 
sheds  in  Lancashire  I shall  earn  enough  brass  to  keep 
me  going.  I'm  going  to  be  on  my  own  in  future. 

(To  Christopher.)  You've  no  call  to  be  afraid. 


1 . 

Ibid.. 

P • 

175  . 

3 . 

Ibid . , 

P • 

176  . 

-58- 


I'm  not  going  to  disgrace  you.  But  ao  long  as  I've 
to  live  my  own  life  I don't  see  why  I shouldn't  choose 
what  it's  to  be  .x 

John  Galsworthy's  treatment  of  this  theme,  that  of 
the  refusal  of  a reparation  marriage,  is  entirely  unlike  Stanley 

Houghton's.  In  The  Eldest  Son  the  woman,  Freda,  is  the  daugh- 

ter of  the  head-keeper  Studdenham,  while  the  man,  Bill  Cheshire, 
is  the  eldest  son  of  Sir  William  Cheshire.  Therefore  the  back- 
ground of  the  two  plays  is  different.  There  was  in  Hindi e 
Wakes  a certain  amount  of  equality  between  the  Jeffcotes  and 
the  Hawthorns,  due  to  their  common  interests,  but  in  The  Eldest 

Son  the  two  families  are  as  far  apart  socially  as  it  is  possible 

for  them  to  be.  From  the  beginning,  we  are  made  to  feel  this 

difference,  and  to  pity  Freda  Studdenham.  Bill  has  tired  of 
her  but  she  still  loves  him.  Furthermore  she  is  to  have  a 
child.  Unlike  the  Jeffcotes  and  Hawthorns  who  strive  to  push 
the  Fanny -Alan  marriage  forward,  the  Cheshires  and  old  Studden- 
ham are  both  against  Freda's  marrying  Bill.  In  both  plays 
the  man's  father  threatens  the  son  with  disinheritance,  but  for 
directly  opposite  reasons  . The  character  of  Bill  Cheshire  is 
quite  different  from  that  of  Alan  Jeff cote.  There  is  about 
both  Freda  and  Bill  the  glamour  of  courage.  Freda  is  crowded 
into  a public  confession  by  circumstance  (she  had  not  intended 
to  tell),  while  Bill's  conscience  forces  him  to  live  up  to  his 


1 . Ibid . , p . 179 . 


' 


-59- 

promise  of  marriage.  As  for  Freda’s  final  refusal  of  Bill,  we 
feel  assured  that  she  does  it  for  young  Cheshire's  good  because 
she  loves  him.  Beside  these  two  young  persons,  there  are  three 
other  notable  characters,  Lady  Cheshire,  Sir  William  and  Studden- 
ham . Lady  Cheshire  is  the  sort  of  ’’great  lady"  who  thinks 
there  are  no  limits  to  self-control,  a "Spartan  mother”.  Sir 
William  is  a somewhat  unconvincing  old  hypocrite.  He  rants 
about  the  under-keeper’s  marriage  to  a village  girl  whom  he  has 
seduced,  but  when  he  faces  the  problem  of  his  own  son  with  his 
wife’s  maid  he  says,  "Morality  be  damned.”  Studdenham  has  a 
sense  of  pride  resembling,  in  some  degree,  that  of  Fanny  Haw- 
thorn in  Hindle  Wakes.  The  two  speeches  which  follow  are 
what  one  might  expect  from  Houghton's  heroine. 

Studdenham  (speaking  of  Freda.)  We  want  none  of  you'. 

She'll  not  force  herself  where  she's  not  welcome. 

She  may  ha'  slipped  her  good  name,  but  she'll  keep 
her  proper  pride.  I'll  have  no  charity  marriage 
in  my  family . — If  the  young  gentleman  has  tired  of 
her  in  three  months,  as  a blind  man  can  see  by  the 
looks  of  him — she's  not  for  him'.1 

It  may  be  seen  from  this  summary  of  The  Eldest  Son 
that  it  is  unlike  Hindle  Wakes  at  several  points.  First . this 


1.  Galsworthy,  John:  Plays , Second  Series,  p.  73. 


. 


-60- 

is  the  usual,  conventional  problem.  Here  is  the  stone  wall  of 
caste  between  Freda  and  Bill . Second.  Freda  is  a weak  sort  of 
woman  so  sentimental  that  she  makes  Fanny  appear  doubly  hard 
by  contrast.  She  gives  up  the  idea  of  marriage,  not  for  her 
own  sake  as  Fanny  did,  but  because  she  fears  she  will  harm  Bill. 
Third,  the  spirit  of  the  Galsworthy  play  is  different  from 
Hindi e Wakes  in  that  the  union  between  Freda  and  Bill  was  love, 
while  that  between  Fanny  and  Alan  was  the  result  of  a lark . 
Fourth,  the  plays  differ  in  that  there  is  no  child  to  consider 
in  Hindle  Wakes  a3  there  is  in  The  Eldest  Son.  It  follows 
naturally  that  Galsworthy's  play  is  the  more  conventional  and 
more  sentimental  of  the  two. 

St . John  Ervine  in  The  Magnanimous  Lover  has  chosen  to 
view  the  problem  from  another  angle.  In  tone  the  play,  which 
is  written  in  one  act,  is  more  like  Hindle  Wakes  than  The  Eldest 
Son . Mr.  Ervine 's  people,  like  Mr.  Houghton's,  are  not  far 
removed  from  their  common  peasant  traditions.  Here,  too,  there 
is  an  economy  in  cast,  there  being  but  five  persons  in  the  play. 
Maggie  Cather  refuses  to  marry  Henry  Hinde  because  his  offer 
is  ten  years  too  late.  She  knows  that  it  is  only  Henry's  sud- 
denly acquired  religion  that  has  made  him  return  to  her . 

Henry's  father  and  Maggie's  mother  urge  the  marriage.  William 
Cather,  Maggie's  father,  is  the  only  person  in  the  play  who 
understands  her  refusal.  Henry  Hinde's  character  has  been 
carefully  drawn  by  Mr  . Ervine  and  may  be  briefly  glimpsed  in 


-61- 


Henry's  speech  to  William  near  the  beginning  of  the  play. 

There  is  about  Henry  Hinde  the  same  conceit  that  permeated  the 
atmosphere  about  Alan  Jeffcote,  but  in  this  case  the  conceit  is 
tainted  by  hypocrisy.  This  is  the  speech: 

Henry  Hinde.  I felt  it  to  be  my  duty  to  come  back.  Mind 
it's  not  because  I couldn't  get  anyone  else.  It's 
because  it's  the  will  of  God.  wHot  my  will,  0 Lord, 
but  Thine  be  done."  I could  marry  a minister's 
daughter  if  I wanted  to.1 

As  for  Ervine's  characterization  of  Maggie,  it  is  partially 
revealed  in  the  following: 

Maggie  Cat her.  Listen,  Henry  Hinde.  There  was  nothing 
but  contempt  for  me  at  first.  Fellows  on  the  street 
treated  me  like  di  rt  beneath  their  feet  . And  all 
the  time  you  were  in  Liverpool,  and  were  thought  a lot 
of.  It  wasn't  fair.  And  it  wasn't  me  only.  I 
mind  once  I was  coming  down  an  entry,  and  I saw  a 

lot  of  children  tormenting  the  child. They  made  him 

say,  "I'm  a wee  bastard."  Aw,  if  I could  have  laid 
hand  on  you  then,  Henry,  I would  have  throttled  you."0 


1.  Ervine,  St.  John  G . : Four  Irish  Plays,  p.  62. 
2 . Ibid . , p . 63 . 


-63 


This  speech  of  Maggie  Gather's,  just  quoted,  separates 
her  both  from  Fanny  Hawthorn  and  from  Freda  Studdenham.  There 
is  neither  selfishness  nor  sentimentality  about  Maggie.  She 
has  suffered  and  her  ten  years  of  pain  have  given  her  a bitter 
pride.  Her  refusal  of  Henry,  therefore,  is  not  based  on  her 
reason  as  Fanny's  was,  but  upon  her  pride.  At  the  end  of  the 
action,  Maggie  gives  the  following  reply  to  Mrs.  Gather's  ques- 
tion about  Henry's  not  being  good  enough. 

Maggie . He  was  too  good.  If  you  heard  what  he  said 
to  me.  He  said  I was  a sinful,  lustful  woman,  and 
could  never  be  as  good  as  he  is.  It  wasn't  me  he 
was  thinking  of:  it  was  himself.  I'm  not  needing 
to  marry,  but  if  I do,  I'll  marry  to  save  my  own 
soul  and  not  Henry  Hinde's.1 

After  the  comparisons  made  here,  certain  salient 
points  of  difference  between  these  three  dramas  appear.  The 
Eldest  Son  is,  technically  speaking,  an  excellent  play  but  it 
is  conventional  and  sentimental.  It  is  conventional  in  that 
it  deals  with  the  usual  rich  man's  son  who  has  seduced  his 
mother's  maid.  Furthermore,  it  is  sentimental  in  that  Freda's 
reason  for  refusing  Bill  is  the  conventional  one,  she  fears  she 
will  ruin  his  life.  Therefore,  Galsworthy's  Freda  is  a some- 
what drab  figure  of  pity,  whereas  Fanny  Hawthorn  is  a vividly 


1.  Ibid.,  p.  76. 


-63- 


forceful  example  of  the  economically  independent  Lancashire 
mill-girl.  In  The  Magnanimous  Lover,  St.  John  Ervine  has  given 
us  a remarkable  character  in  the  person  of  Maggie  Cather . She 
is  a superbly  courageous  woman  moved  by  a magnificent  pride, 
but  she  lacks  Fanny's  clear,  cool  way  of  looking  at  the  world. 
Therefore  the  play  is  less  striking  than  Mr.  Houghton's.  On 
the  other  hand,  Kindle  Wakes  is  technically  as  good  as  The 
Eldest  Son,  but  none  of  the  ugly  facts  in  it  are  glossed  over 
by  sentiment  as  they  are  in  Mr.  Galsworthy's  drama.  Hindi e 
Wakes  is  an  unusual  portrayal  of  a real  type,  for  Fanny  is 
a hard  self-realized  woman,  wholly  apart  from  her  experience. 

Hindi e Wakes  represents  Mr.  Houghton  at  his  best  as 
a remarkable  technician  and  realist  . After  all,  realism  is 
largely  a matter  of  view  point.  It  proves,  too,  that  Houghton 
could  write  dialogue  which  has  been  but  rarely  surpassed  for 
its  quiet  humor.  The  whole  play  is  an  undisguised  attack  on 
life  as  a purely  sentimental  thing.  The  tremendous  success 
of  the  drama  partially  proves  its  value.  It  has  been  played 
with  success  from  South  Africa  to  Copenhagen.  There  is  but 
one  failure  to  its  credit  and  that  was  in  Hew  York.  Why? 
Because  we  may  have  been  lacking  in  discerning  critics,  or 
perha.ps  New  York  thought  the  play  too  unusual . Perhaps  Mr. 
Houghton  did  not  sweeten  his  realism  enough  for  America.  If 
an  American  audience  can  be  made  to  swallow  real  problems,  the 
dramatist  who  undertakes  the  task  had  best  sugar-coat  them 


with  sentiment . 


' 


-64- 


CHAPTER  V. 

CONCLUSION. 

Before  making  a summary  of  Mr.  Houghton's  realism, 
a brief  review  of  the  dramatic  criticisms  of  his  plays  will 
prove  interesting.  Naturally  there  is  very  little  criticism 
extant  of  the  plays  which  preceded  Kindle  Wakes.  Therefore, 
the  bulk  of  critical  opinion  is  confined  to  Mr.  Houghton's 
masterpiece  and  the  plays  which  followed  it. 

The  Graphic  for  July  27,  1912,  includes  an  informal 
criticism  of  the  first  London  production  of  Kindle  Wakes . 

"The  night  was  sweltering:  the  author  quite  unknown  to  most  of 
us:  not  a name  in  the  cast  was  familiar  to  London  playgoers: 
and  yet  the  play  held  the  house  as  in  a vice,  and  why?  Because 
it  is  a study  in  real  life,  written  by  a man  who  knows  what  he 
is  writing  about  . Someone  once  said  of  a well-known  dramatist 
that  his  pictures  of  a drawing-room  were  taken  from  the  angle  at 
which  the  dirty  little  street  boy  looks  at  the  plate  glass 
through  the  area  railings.  That  cannot  be  said  of  Mr.  HoughtorJs 
brilliant  glimpse  of  Lancashire  life.  It  heightens  its  dram- 
atic quality  by  dealing  with  Northern  types  of  a fierce,  ele- 
mental kind,  the  drama  consisting  of  the  conflict  between  the 
repressive  conservatism  of  middle  age  and  the  changing  ideals 
of  youth."  Speaking  of  Fanny  the  critic  says,  "her  code  has, 
at  any  rate,  the  sanction  of  overwhelming  common  sense,  and. 


-65 


like  every  part  of  the  play,  its  strong  clear  sight  is  com- 
pulsive . 

John  Palmer,  dramatic  critic  of  The  Saturday  Review, 
gives,  in  the  issue  for  June,  1912,  an  entirely  different  judg- 
ment . He  insinuates  in  no  uncertain  terms  that  Mr.  Houghton 
borrows  everything  but  the  first  scene  from  Mr.  Shaw.  "Alan," 
says  Mr.  Palmer,  "explaining  his  lapse  tc  the  fiancee  he  had 
temporarily  abandoned  for  Fanny  plunged  at  once  into  an  exposi- 
tion of  Mr.  Shaw's  celebrated  distinction  between  the  strictly 
impersonal  and  simple  instinct  of  sex  and  the  highly  personal 
and  complex  delight  of  agreeable  companionship."* * 3  It  would 
seem  that  Mr.  Palmer  was  wearing  his  melodramatic  spectacles 
that  evening,  for  he  comments  recklessly  upon  the  scene  between 
Fanny  and  her  mother  as  "the  best  thing  in  the  play."  Fur- 
thermore, he  liked  the  thunderstorm,  which  is,  in  my  opinion, 
the  most  melodramatic  and  unrealistic  thing  in  the  play.  After 
commenting  upon  this  scene,  he  dismisses  the  rest  of  the  play, 
which  he  misnames  Hindi ev  Wakes,  in  the  following  manner.  "If 
Mr.  Houghton  had  continued  in  this  fashion— I mean,  if  Mr. 
Houghton's  characters  had  played  the  play  as  he  intended — I 
should  have  celebrated  Hindi ev  Wakes  rather  differently." 


1.  Graphic . v.  86,  p.  146. 

2.  Sat . Review,  v.  113,  p . 774 . 

3 . Ibid.,  p . 775 . 


. 


-66- 


Fanny  seems  to  have  been  hailed  with  more  or  less 
disgust  by  the  critics.  The  critic  in  Current  Opinion  for 
September,  1913,  calls  her  "the  dangerous  new  free  woman  who 
expresses  her  ultra-radical  feminism  and  her  simple  theory  of 
the  economic  independence  of  woman."  Another  critic  calls 
her  "a  handsome  animal  who  has  slouched  into  the  adventure  and 
now  she  slouches  out  of  it  without  emotion. It  would  seem 
that  both  of  these  critics  allowed  their  personal  opinion  to 
ride  rough-shod  over  their  judgment.  Actually,  Fanny  is 
neither  a dangerous  feminist  nor  a "handsome  animal".  She  has 
no  more  of  the  handsome  animal  about  her  than  the  average  woman, 
but  she  is  capable  of  cold-bloodedly  looking  at  her  experience 
from  a rational  view  point. 

Hindis  Wakes  failed  in  New  York.  According  to 

McClure 's  for  March  1913,  "the  play  did  not  meet  here  with  a 

shadow  of  the  success  it  had  in  London.  It  is  written  in  the 

quiet  tone  popular  among  the  younger  English  dramatists,  who 

are  so  determined  not  to  be  artificially  conclusive  that  they 

3 

are  sometimes  more  inconclusive  than  they  need  to  be." 

Fancy  Free,  though  written  before  Hindle  Wakes,  was 
produced  after  it.  It  was  produced  in  1913  in  New  York,  but 
it  received  rather  scant  attention.  Harper's  Weekly  for  June 


1.  American  Playwright:  v.  2,  pp  . 5-6. 
2 • McClure  1 s . v . 40 , p . 69  . 


-67- 

31,  1913,  contains  the  following  criticism:  "The  author  of 
Fancy  Free  has  given  it  the  light  imitable  touch  of  French  com- 
edy, or  of  the  delightfully  artificial  comedy  of  the  Restor- 
ation."'1' Another  brief  criticism  of  Fancy  Free  is  to  be  found 
in  the  Bookman  for  May  1913.  "It  seems  surprising  that  the 
author  of  the  unadorned  and  naturalistic  dialogue  of  Hindle 
Wake 3 should  show  himself  equally  at  home  in  the  brilliantly 
witty  type  of  composition  that  was  made  illustrious  by  Oscar 
Wilde."2 3 

The  Younger  Generation,  although  written  in  1909,  was 
first  produced  two  weeks  after  Fancy  Free.  The  dramatic  critic 
of  the  Academy  for  November  30,  1912,  gives  a detailed  criticism 
of  the  play.  "The  Younger  Generation  fits  in  with  the  present 
reversion  of  taste  to  the  candid  domestic  style  of  play,  it 
clearly  and  admirably  sets  forth  such  simple  story  as  it  con- 
tains, and  it  is  acted  with  a quiet  vigour  and  sincerity  which 
dees  immense  credit  to  our  stage. — It  is  all  done  very  smoothly 
and  after  a fashion  that  completely  holds  the  interest.  The 
result  is  a most  engaging  comedy  in  modern  manners. 

The  same  critic  in  the  Academy  for  June,  1913,  passed 
the  following  judgment  upon  the  first  performance  of  The  Perfect 

1.  Harper's  Weekly,  v.  57,  p,  126. 

2.  The  Bookman,  v.  37,  p.  311. 

3.  Academy . v.  83,  p.  703. 


■ 


■ 


' 


-68- 


Cure.  nWe  have  acquired  the  curious  habit  of  expecting  some- 
thing very  good  of  Mr.  Stanley  Houghton;  so  that  matters  are 
only  following  their  natural  ironic  law  when  we  find  his  new 
work.  The  Perfect  Cure,  completely  disappointing.  It  is  all 
done  neatly  enough;  there  is  plenty  of  satire.  There  is  more 
than  enough  of  sharp  sayings  about  parents  of  fifty  who  want 
to  keep  their  motherless  daughters  to  act  as  their  servants  and 
all  that  sort  of  thing.  Even  if  the  Crays  do  exist,  is  a man 
of  Mr.  Houghton's  gifts  quite  fair  to  us  when  he  lavishes  his 
satiric  powers,  his  cleverness  and  his  sentiment  on  exceptional 
types  which  have  survived  out  of  a past  period? 

The  criticisms  quoted  have  been,  on  the  whole,  typical 
of  the  critical  opinion  passed  on  Stanley  Houghton's  writings. 
They  tend  to  prove  that  The  Younger  Generation  and  Hindi e Wakes 
are  Mr.  Houghton’s  best  dramas.  Let  us  glance  back  over  the 
way  we  have  come  and  summarize  the  dramatist's  work. 

The  longer  plays,  exclusive  of  Hindi e Wakes,  are  in- 
teresting because  they  demonstrate  Houghton's  ability  to  create 
real  characters.  They  include  some  remarkably  clever  portraits, 
notably,  the  egotistical  Edgar  Forsyth  in  Independent  Means, 
the  unscrupulous  mother  in  Marriages  in  the  Making,  and  the 
provincially  intolerant  Kennion  family  in  The  Younger  Generation 
Partners  we  have  dismissed  as  being  merely  a part  of  the  play- 
wright's apprenticeship.  As  for  The  Perfect  Cure,  although 


1.  Ibid . . v.  84,  p.  819. 


' 


-69- 

technically  excellent,  it  is  below  the  average  of  the  other 
plays,  from  the  standpoint  of  realism. 

The  shorter  plays  reveal  Mr.  Houghton's  gift  of 
humor.  The  Old  Testament  and  the  Hew  belongs  like  Partners 
to  Mr.  Houghton's  apprenticeship.  The  Master  of  the  House  is 
unusual  in  its  mingling  of  realistic  characterization  with  a 
somewhat  eerie  theme.  Fancy  Free  is  unlike  the  rest  of  the 
short  plays  in  its  purely  "witty"  dialogue.  Phipps  is  a farce 
and  therefore  contributes  little  to  our  knowledge  of  Houghton's 
realism.  But  The  Dear  Departed  is  an  almost  perfect  example 
of  the  realistic  one-act  comedy.  It  is  crisp,  adequate  in 
plot  and  characterization,  and  deserves  permanent  recognition. 

As  for  Hindi e Wakes,  it  combines  the  realistic  char- 
acterization of  the  longer  plays,  the  solid  sense  of  humor  of 
the  shorter  plays,  with  the  realistic  point  of  view  found  in 
the  non-dramatic  writings.  Therefore  this  play  is  the  best  of 
Mr.  Houghton's  plays  because  of  the  combination  of  these  three 
elements.  Here  are  presentable,  as  well  as  real,  characters. 
Here  also  is  that  constant  shifting  from  the  serious  to  the 
humorous  so  like  life  itself.  Furthermore,  here  is  the  some- 
what cynical  viewpoint  of  the  realist  who  openly  attacks  the 
world's  worship  of  humbug.  Therefore  Hindi e Wakes,  together 
with  The  Younger  Generation  and  The  Dear  Departed,  may  be  said 
to  prove  Stanley  Houghton  to  be  a realist  in  his  treatment  of 
character,  in  his  humor,  and  in  his  viewpoint . 


-70- 


By  his  lamentably  early  death,  Stanley  Houghton  has 
left  behind  him  a fascinating  problem.  Viewing  his  work  from 
an  external  point  of  view,  the  critic  will  easily  recognize 
that  Hindi e Wakes  represents  the  perfection  of  the  playwright’s 
gifts  as  a realist.  On  the  whole  his  studies  are  not  so  much 
concerned  with  ideas  as  with  types.  His  power  of  observation 
was  growing  deeper  and  stronger.  There  is  not  one  of  the 
characters  in  Kindle  'flakes  but  walked  the  streets  of  Manchester. 
Furthermore  it  is  impossible  to  believe  that  Mr.  Houghton’s 
gold  was  all  worked  out  in  this  play.  If  he  had  lived  he 
would  have  created  other  plays  as  lasting  as  Hindis  Wakes . 

"He  might  have  perpetrated  yet  other  abiding  pictures  of  the  life 
that  so  vividly  appealed  to  him . 


1.  Spectator,  v.  113,  p.  694. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY. 


A.  Magazines . 

1.  Academy , v.  83,  p.  703,  Nov.  30,  1313. 

"Younger  Generation". 

2.  Ibid . , v.  84,  pp  . 307-308,  Feb.  15,  1913. 

"Trust  the  People". 

3.  Ibid.,  v.  84,  pp . 819-830,  June  38,  1313. 

"The  Perfect  Cure" . 

4.  American  Playwright,  v.  2,  p.  6,  July  1313. 

"Kindle  Wakes". 

5.  Bookman,  v.  36,  p.  643,  Feb.  1913. 

"Hindi e Wakes". 

6.  Ibid.,  v.  37,  pp . 304-313,  May  1913. 

"Fancy  Free". 

7.  Ibid.,  v.  38,  p.  366,  Feb.  1914. 

"Old  Stories  and  New  Plays". 

8.  Ibid.,  v.  39,  p.  80,  June  1914. 

"Kindle  Wakes". 

2*  Colliers . v.  50,  p.  68,  Dec.  28,  1913. 

"A  Description  of  Kindle  Wakes". 

10.  Current  Opinion,  v.  55,  pp . 169-172,  Jan.  1314. 


"Kindle  Wakes". 


11.  Dial,  v.  56,  p.  59,  March  1913. 

"Guides  to  Contemporary  Drama". 

12.  English  Review,  v.  11,  p.  655,  June  1913. 

"A  Criticism  of  Hindi e Wakes". 

13.  Fortnightly  Review,  v.  99,  p.  945,  May  1913. 

"The  Realistic  Drama". 

14.  Ibid.,  v.  99,  p.  1136,  June  1913. 

"Realism  in  the  Drama". 

15.  Graphic , v.  86,  p.  391,  July  1913. 

"Hindis  Wakes". 

16.  Ibid.,  v.  87,  p.  1099,  Sept.  1912. 

"The  Perfect  Cure". 

17.  Ibid.,  v.  87,  p.  349,  August  1912. 

"Trust  the  People". 

18.  Ibid.,  v.  88,  p.  1170,  Dec.  1913. 

"The  Death  of  Stanley  Houghton". 

IS.  Harper's  Weekly,  v.  57,  p.  35,  June  31,  1913. 
"Fancy  Free". 

20.  Living  Age,  v.  380,  p.  423,  Jan.  1914. 

"The  Life  of  Stanley  Houghton" . 

31.  McClure 's . v.  48,  p.  69,  March  1913. 

"The  New  York  Production  of  Hindi e Wakes". 
22.  The  Nation,  v.  98,  p.  581,  Nov.  1913. 

"Recent  London  Productions." 


. 


23.  North  American  Review,  v.  198,  pp . 218-226,  Jan.  1913. 

"England's  New  Dramatists". 

24  . Saturday  Review,  v.  113,  p.  774,  Jan.  1914. 

"The  Life  of  Stanley  Houghton". 

25.  Ibid.,  v.  114,  p.  765,  July  1914. 

"The  Younger  Generation". 

36.  Ibid . , v.  115,  p.  303,  Jan.  1915. 

"Trust  the  People". 

37.  The  Spectator,  v.  113,  p.  694,  Jan.  1914. 

"Review  of  the  Works  of  Stanley  Houghton". 

B ♦ Books . 

1.  Andrews,  Charlton:  The  Drama  of  Today . 

2.  Chandler,  Frank  W.:  Aspects  of  the  Modern  Drama. 

3.  Courtney,  W.  L.:  Old  Saws  and  Modern  Instances. 

4.  Dukes,  Ashley:  Modern  Drama . 

5.  Ervine,  St.  John:  Four  Irish  Plays. 

6.  Galsworthy,  John:  P lav s . Second  Series. 

7.  Henderson,  Archibald:  The  Changing  Drama . 

8.  Houghton,  Stanley:  Works , v.  1,  3,  3. 

9.  Sarcey,  Francisque:  Theory  of  the  Theatre. 

10 . Vaughan , C . E . : Types  of  Tragic  Drama  . 

11.  Zola,  Emile:  Therese  Raquin,  Preface. 

13.  Dickinson,  Thomas  H.:  Modern  English  Drama,., 


